The University of California system has agreed to pay a $243 million settlement to resolve several lawsuits filed regarding former UCLA gynecologist James Heaps.
More than 200 women have filed lawsuits against the university, alleging that they have been sexually abused by Heaps, who served at UCLA for nearly 35 years.
“This historic settlement allows these brave women to achieve their litigation goals of accountability and compensation, paving the path for their continued healing,” said the womens’ attorney John Manly, in a statement.
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Heaps was indicted on 21 charges of sexual assault in May 2021, all related to alleged assaults the former gynecologist had done against seven women between 2009 and 2018.
The university had previously reached a $73 million settlement in July 2021 to settle a single federal suit filed on behalf of more than 5,500 women.
The university said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that UCLA Health and the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center have “taken substantial action to address the issues alleged in the litigation.” These actions include increased Title XI staffing, expanding employee training, and enhancing its chaperone policies when it comes to sensitive and clinical settings.
The lawsuits alleged that patients complained about Heaps’s conduct for years. However, the university did not recognize their complaints until 2017, when UCLA’s office was made aware of allegations of sexual assault, leading to an investigation.
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Heaps’s employment continued during the investigation until June 14, 2018, when UCLA ended his employment. The former doctor was arrested in June 2019.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3092 on Sept. 29, 2020, which gave victims more time to file claims against Heaps and UCLA by creating a one-year extension for victims whose eligibility to file suit would have otherwise expired due to the statute of limitations.
