The office of the New York attorney general has opened an investigation into Columbia University over its response to allegations against Robert Hadden, a former gynecologist affiliated with the institution who continued seeing patients for weeks after his 2012 arrest on sex crime charges.

A spokesperson for Attorney General Letitia James confirmed on Monday that the inquiry is underway. Nearly 1,000 women have accused Hadden of sexual abuse during medical appointments spanning nearly two decades, from 1993 to 2012. Columbia University has already paid out approximately $1 billion to settle claims related to the case.

Hadden stopped practicing medicine in 2012. In 2016, he pleaded guilty in New York state court to charges related to sexual abuse. That plea deal, which did not include prison time, sparked outrage among many survivors who believed justice had not been served. As part of the agreement, he surrendered his medical license. Years later, federal prosecutors pursued a separate case against him. In 2023, following a trial in federal court, Hadden was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Although the exact scope of the attorney general’s review has not been fully detailed, the investigation is reportedly focused on Columbia’s actions after Hadden’s arrest in 2012. Despite the charges, the university permitted him to continue treating patients for about five weeks. According to reporting by ProPublica, at least eight women have said they were assaulted by Hadden during that period.

If investigators uncover evidence of misconduct or institutional negligence, the attorney general’s office could bring legal action against the university. Columbia declined to comment publicly on the matter when asked this week.

The investigation comes during a period of leadership instability at Columbia. Since 2024, the university has seen two presidents step down amid controversy surrounding their handling of pro-Palestinian campus protests and disputes tied to former President Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw federal funding. In addition, Columbia has recently faced scrutiny over past associations between some faculty members and Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender.

The fallout from Hadden’s misconduct has shadowed Columbia for more than a decade. Before his arrest, he practiced at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. While his initial state plea deal drew criticism, federal authorities later accused him of transporting patients across state lines to facilitate abuse, leading to his eventual 20-year prison sentence.

Following his federal conviction, pressure intensified from survivors, lawmakers, students, and medical staff demanding that Columbia accept responsibility for what many describe as systemic failures that allowed Hadden’s abuse to persist. In response, the university agreed to notify former patients about the charges and established a $100 million compensation fund. Columbia has recently extended the deadline for survivors to file claims until April 15.

In 2023, Columbia announced it had retained an independent investigator to conduct a comprehensive review of the institutional breakdowns that enabled Hadden’s actions. The investigator, Joan Loughnane, was tasked with examining internal procedures and identifying lapses in oversight. However, more than two years later, the findings have not been made public. Loughnane was not immediately available for comment.

Students, particularly those enrolled at the medical school, have continued to demand accountability and transparency from university leadership. Many argue that the institution’s response has been insufficient and slow.

Evelyn Yang, who has publicly stated that Hadden assaulted her while she was seven months pregnant, said student activism played a crucial role in pushing the university to notify former patients. She added that some students felt intimidated when advocating for stronger action from administrators, yet they persisted in raising awareness.

In November, members of the university senate, a governing body representing faculty and students, delivered a letter signed by 400 medical students to senior administrators, including acting president Claire Shipman and the board of trustees. The letter expressed concern over what it described as institutional failures that permitted Hadden’s misconduct to continue unchecked. The letter was first reported by The Columbia Daily Spectator.

Last week, the issue resurfaced at another senate meeting held behind closed doors. According to Eli Baum, a student senator representing Columbia College, several student representatives read victim-impact statements from Hadden’s federal sentencing hearing to underscore the gravity of the case. Baum said the gesture was intended to confront university leaders with the human consequences of what survivors describe as systemic neglect.

On the same day, Columbia released a statement affirming that it has cooperated fully with the external investigation. The university said the independent review has involved examining documents, interviewing witnesses, and creating a voluntary process for survivors and others with relevant knowledge to share their accounts.

However, Marissa Hoechstetter, a former patient who has publicly accused Hadden of sexual assault and has advocated on behalf of survivors, said she had never been contacted by the university’s outside investigator. She noted that, by contrast, representatives from the attorney general’s office had reached out to her. Hoechstetter expressed appreciation that state officials appeared willing to listen to survivors seeking a more comprehensive examination of how the abuse was allowed to continue for so many years.

As the attorney general’s inquiry proceeds, Columbia faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of one of the most consequential scandals in its history, with survivors and students alike calling for transparency, accountability, and meaningful institutional reform.