California varsity in $250m payout for doctor’s sex abuse

The University of California has agreed to pay nearly $250m (£185m) to over 200 women who allege they were sexually assaulted by a campus gynaecologist. Multiple women accuse the university’s Los Angeles site (UCLA) of deliberately hiding James Heaps’ alleged sexual abuse of patients. Mr Heaps was based at the UCLA student health centre during his 35-year career between 1983 and 2018. Hundreds of women, some of whom had cancer, say they were abused by him.

The university did not begin investigating complaints against Mr Heaps until 2017. It has been accused in hundreds of lawsuits of deliberately hiding the gynaecologist’s alleged sexual abuse of patients. His medical licence was suspended by a judge in 2019 for the duration of the sex abuse case. The university said it hoped the financial settlement would provide “healing and closure” for the women involved. Mr Heaps faces 21 criminal counts of sexual abuse against seven women and has pleaded not guilty.

“The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to the University’s values,” a UCLA statement said on Tuesday.

“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.” But Kara Cagle, a breast cancer survivor who reported Mr Heaps while she was undergoing treatment at the university, told the Los Angeles Times. (Agencies)