The University of California (UC) system has settled a sexual assault lawsuit involving a former UCLA gynecologist. Dr. James Heaps is formally accused of violating women at UCLA medical facilities between 1983 and 2018. The university has also been slammed for allegedly not taking the matter seriously.
The UC system has agreed to pay $243.6 million to 203 victims to settle these troubling allegations, coming out to $1.2 million each.
"The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to the University's values," a UCLA statement reads. "Our first and highest obligation will always be to the communities we serve, and we hope this settlement is one step toward providing healing and closure for the plaintiffs involved."
"This historic settlement allows these brave women to achieve their litigation goals of accountability and compensation, paving the path for their continued healing," added John C. Manly, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys. "Instead of unnecessarily inflicting further damage upon these survivors, the UC Regents made the decision to resolve these claims for reasonable value, and I would like to recognize those efforts. This should serve as a model for other universities who are facing the same sort of claims."
This notably isn't the first time the UC system has faced a multi-million-dollar case over Heaps' alleged misconduct, as it settled a $73 million lawsuit back in late 2020. It's also worth mentioning that hundreds of additional victims are still in the process of suing over their experiences with Heaps.
The matter came out after Heaps was arrested in 2019 and charged with sexual battery, which prompted other women to come forward and share their own experiences with the former UCLA gynecologist. By 2021, Heaps was charged with 21 offenses brought on by seven different women. He pleaded not guilty, and his criminal hearings are slated to kick off this December.
The University of Michigan recently faced a similar scandal. Last month, the institution settled a $490 million lawsuit over allegations that a campus sports doctor sexually assaulted over 1,000 people—including African American men—between 1966 and 2003.
