The iWoman Report: Huge Lawsuit Payout, Trump Goes After NPR and PBS, and A'ja Wilson's Nike Commercial Celebrates Girlhood

Columbia University, NewYork-Presbyterian Settle for $750M in Robert Hadden Sexual Abuse Case

Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital have agreed to a $750 million settlement to resolve 576 civil lawsuits involving former gynecologist Robert Hadden, who was convicted of sexually abusing patients during his decades-long tenure at both institutions. The agreement, approved by a Manhattan judge on Monday, marks one of the largest settlements related to sexual abuse by a medical professional in U.S. history — bringing the total legal payouts related to Hadden’s abuse to over $1 billion.

Hadden, 66, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2023 following his conviction on multiple federal sex crime charges. He had worked for years at prominent New York hospitals, including Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian, where he used his position of trust to exploit and abuse patients. Allegations against him date back to the late 1980s and span decades, but for many years, complaints were quietly handled or ignored.

Attorney for the plaintiffs, Anthony T. DiPietro, criticized Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian for prioritizing “protecting their reputations over protecting their patients,” and emphasized that this settlement delivers a powerful message about institutional accountability.

According to DiPietro, the average payout for plaintiffs in the latest settlement will be about $1.3 million. Columbia had previously settled with more than 200 other survivors for $277 million. Together, the cases form one of the most damning chapters in modern medical malpractice and institutional cover-up.

Hadden’s abuse came under wider scrutiny after public revelations from survivors including Evelyn Yang, wife of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Her story, and others, brought national attention to Hadden’s pattern of predatory behavior and the institutions that allegedly enabled it.

Although Hadden was indicted on state charges in 2014, he was allowed to plead guilty in 2016 to lesser charges without jail time or sex offender registration — a decision by former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. that drew outrage. Federal prosecutors later brought their own case, indicting him in 2020 based on the interstate travel of some of his patients. As part of its efforts to acknowledge past failures, Columbia said in November 2023 that it would contact 6,500 former patients of Hadden to inform them of his conviction and offer access to the survivor compensation fund. Applications to that fund are being accepted through May 15.

With over $1 billion now paid out to victims, the legal saga surrounding Robert Hadden stands as a stark warning to institutions: ignoring or covering up abuse is no longer without cost and survivors will continue to demand justice.

Trump Moves to Defund NPR and PBS: Public Media Leaders Vow Legal Challenge

In a late-night move last Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order attempting to halt all public funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), citing what he called their “ideological bias.” The order directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to eliminate federal support for the two organizations, stating that “neither entity presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens.”

The move marks the latest escalation in Trump’s long-running campaign against public media, aligning closely with broader efforts to silence critical or independent institutions. But legal experts and media leaders were quick to push back, questioning the legitimacy of the executive order and warning of its potentially devastating impact on public broadcasting, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the CPB, iterated in a response that the corporation is not a federal agency and therefore is not subject to the President's authority. This independence is enshrined in the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which explicitly forbids “any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States to exercise any direction, supervision, or control” over CPB or its grantees.

NPR and PBS are cornerstones of American media culture, providing news, education, and emergency information to nearly the entire population, reaching 99% of Americans. While federal funding makes up a modest portion of their budgets, it plays an outsized role in keeping small local stations afloat. According to a 2011 NPR contingency report, removing that funding could force a fifth of public radio stations to close, eliminating access for millions of Americans.

Leaders of both networks have signaled their intent to fight the order, citing reasons of First Amendment rights violations and unlawful. Notably, Congress recently allocated $535 million for the CPB in a stopgap funding bill passed with bipartisan support, securing public media funding through 2027. That allocation underscores the difficulty Trump may face in enforcing the order, especially given CPB’s legal status as an independent nonprofit.

Despite the executive order’s uncertain legal fate, critics warn the move represents a broader authoritarian impulse. At a time when the U.S. media landscape is under economic strain and press freedom is in decline, dismantling publicly funded journalism threatens to weaken one of the last remaining bastions of noncommercial, community-centered reporting. NPR and PBS play a huge rule in keeping the public informed, especially in poor and underserved areas where private news outlets don’t reach.

As the political and legal battle unfolds, the future of public broadcasting hangs in the balance.

A’ja Wilson and Malia Obama Highlight Black Girlhood

When A’ja Wilson and Malia Obama joined forces for Nike’s latest campaign, it became immediately clear that this collaboration was about more than just sneakers. The “ONE OF A’KIND” video, directed by Malia and promoting Wilson’s new “A’One” signature shoe, released on May 6, is a beautifully crafted homage to Black girlhood. It is a celebration of memory, identity, and culture told through the lens of two powerful women rooted in storytelling and sports.

Rather than leaning into glossy product placement, the campaign offers something more intimate and emotionally resonant. From playground rhymes to church pews, it’s a visual love letter to the experiences that shape Black girls across generations. With every frame, the video offers a piece of Wilson’s story, mirroring the story of so many others.

One of the most touching elements of the campaign is its use of childhood chants and clapping games, which many Black women will instantly recognize. These moments are more than nostalgic—they’re affirmations of identity. These chants built rhythm and language, connection and confidence. Passed from girl to girl, they were never just games. They were the soundtrack to girlhood, and in this campaign, they’re center stage.

Details like hair beads and barrettes appear not as props, but as symbols of self-expression. For many Black girls, choosing the color of your barrettes after a long braiding session was one of the earliest forms of personal style. In the video, the beads that spell out “A’ja” and barrettes adorned with her logo are cultural statements, woven in with care and intention.

Dance also plays a central role in the story. Whether you were choreographing living room routines with cousins or admiring majorette lines on TV, movement has always been a powerful expression of joy and identity. Featuring dancers from Benedict College, an HBCU in Wilson’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, the video captures the energy, flair, and legacy of performance.

The story deepens with a church scene filmed in Saint John Baptist Church, the same church led by Wilson’s paternal grandparents. It’s here we see another layer of her roots. The video captures a moment that any churchgoing child knows well: the quiet scolding for making too much noise, the side-eye from an elder, the giggles you tried to stifle. Wilson herself has admitted to getting in trouble as a child for laughing at off-key singers in church.

Wilson’s parents also appear in the video, seated at home in a room filled with trophies. It’s a tender scene, showing them cheering on their daughter just as they always have. Their presence adds emotional weight and speaks to the generational support behind every great athlete.

The campaign also features a joyful cameo from Coach Dawn Staley, Wilson’s former college coach at the University of South Carolina. Staley, whom Wilson calls her “second mom,” dances through a local favorite spot—Big T’s BBQ—adding yet another layer of community and mentorship to the piece. It’s a full-circle moment that reminds us how important it is for young athletes to see those who came before them.

“ONE OF A’KIND” isn’t just an ad for sneakers. It’s a powerful cultural artifact, crafted by Black women for Black women, celebrating the richness of memory and the strength of community. In telling her story, A’ja Wilson reminds us of ours. And in directing it, Malia Obama shows us the beauty of seeing the world through a Black woman’s lens.

This campaign is a reminder that when Black women create together, they don’t just make history, they make magic.