STAT+: Jury rules in favor of ousted Cambridge scientist David Sabatini, with $6 million in damages to be awarded

The verdict was a stark rejection of a high-profile #MeToo claim David Sabatini at his civil trial this week at Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff A Suffolk County jury on Friday awarded $6 million in damages to ousted star scientist and former MIT professor David Sabatini, whose career imploded after he was accused by a much younger colleague of inappropriate sexual conduct in his Cambridge research lab. The verdict was a stark rejection of a high-profile #MeToo claim from Kristin Knouse, a fellow scientist who said Sabatini had subjected her to a coercive relationship and fostered a hostile and sexualized workplace environment in his lab at the world-renowned Whitehead Institute. The jury of seven women and six men directed Knouse — who had brought her own suit against Sabatini — to pay the $6 million verdict, plus interest, finding she had defamed him and interfered with his ability to make a living. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Madyline Swearing, Bryan Hecht, and Tonya Alanez — Boston Globe