"This is the most prolific case of sexual abuse against young African American men in U.S. history," attorney H. James White says

LANSING, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES, April 23, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A group of 40 African American men have banded together to pursue sexual assault claims against University of Michigan and their alleged attacker, former director of the University Health Service, Dr. Robert Anderson.

“For older black men to come forward and admit they were victims of sexual abuse takes great courage, but comes with great difficulty, and they have told me some very difficult things,” says their attorney, H. James White, who also has represented clients against gymnastics coach Larry Nassar. “These men are facing the antiquated belief that sexual assault is something that only happens to women. Some of these men tried to tell their stories, only to have people turn away in homophobia-based fear. And these men, who were once powerful athletes, now have to cope with admitting that they were also victims of abuse. But their years of waiting to be heard will soon be over.”

An investigation into the allegations against the former team doctor turned up written complaints submitted to the University about Anderson’s conduct dating back to the 1970s. And recent reports that the University’s Athletic Director Warde Manuel failed to properly report abuse allegations against Anderson “is just further confirmation of the damaged culture that these men suffered under,” White says.

Most of the men came from economically depressed backgrounds and were dependent on athletic scholarships for their education, White says, and they felt compelled to comply with the abusive examinations by Anderson, or risk losing those scholarships.

“Over the decades he was employed by the university, Anderson had access to hundreds of young men,” says White. “As hard as it may be, it’s important that other survivors of Anderson’s abuse know that they are not alone, and they should not be ashamed to seek justice against the University that gave this abuser a safe haven for years. No human of any gender or any race or age should ever have to endure sexual abuse -- even if that abuse happened years ago -- in silence.”

H. James White has represented a large number of sexual abuse survivors in litigation against the institutions that allowed it to occur, including 20 victims in the University of Michigan sexual abuse case and dozens of victims of USA Gymnastics' disgraced Dr. Larry Nassar. He has also represented clergy abuse survivors in the state of Michigan and nationally. He may be reached at 517-974-0827 or by email at jameswhite@whitelawpllc.com. Visit his website at https://www.whitelawpllc.com/meet-our-team/h-james-white/.

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