A Suffolk County jury awarded $6 million in damages to David Sabatini, the former MIT professor and Whitehead Institute scientist, on Friday. The verdict resolves a legal dispute stemming from sexual misconduct allegations that ended Sabatini's tenure at the institute.
Kristin Knouse, a fellow scientist who accused Sabatini of fostering a hostile and sexualized workplace environment, was ordered to pay the damages plus interest. The jury, composed of seven women and six men, found that Knouse had defamed Sabatini. They also found she interfered with his ability to make a living.
The decision stands as a rejection of the high-profile claim brought by Knouse against Sabatini. She had alleged that Sabatini subjected her to a coercive relationship within his Cambridge research lab. The jury's findings directly contradicted those assertions. A financial penalty now falls on the accuser rather than the accused.