Oregon doctor whose sperm was allegedly used to father at least 17 children, sues clinic $5.25M
An Oregon doctor who says his sperm was improperly used to father more than a dozen children is now suing the fertility clinic.
The donation used to father at least 17 children was in violation of an agreement that allowed for no more than five children, according to the lawsuit obtained by FOX Business.
But the issues persist beyond the number of offspring produced using his sperm. According to the lawsuit, Oregon Health & Science University’s fertility clinic also breached the promise that all of the children would be born to women living outside Oregon or on the East Coast.
The discovery prompted 53-year-old Bryce Cleary to claim $5.25 million in a lawsuit against the university clinic on Wednesday, according to the law firm that filed the complaint.
"OHSU treats any allegation of misconduct with the gravity it deserves," the clinic told FOX Business. "In light of our patient privacy obligations and the confidentiality of protected health information, we cannot comment on this case."
Cleary made the donation 30 years ago shortly after becoming a first-year medical student at the university, according to the lawsuit. During his time as a student, Cleary and fellow male classmates were encouraged by employees of the university clinic to participate in a sperm donation and research program. He agreed to participate as long as his stipulations, including anonymity, were carried out.
In March 2018, Cleary started to learn that his sperm donations successfully resulted in the births of some children after two young women contacted him by using Ancestry.com data as well as some information provided by the clinic to identify more siblings and Cleary himself, according to the lawsuit.
This led to the discovery of at least 17 kids, who were conceived using his sperm and born in Oregon with the high possibility that some children had lived in the same town and attended some of the same schools as the children who were raised by he and his wife.
The stipulation of having the children born outside of the state was to lessen the chances that his various children might meet or become romantically involved, according to Cleary and his lawsuit.
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Cleary’s suit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court by Best, attorney Daniel Gatti and attorney James Cleary who is one of the three sons raised by Bryce Cleary.