Cline's current whereabouts, as far as we can tell, are unknown. Three more are pending.[9]. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As this doesn't really relate to Cline, I'm pretty confused (and I assume others will be, too) as to why the doc includes these details prominently at all. from Indiana University School of Medicine. The former fertility doctor secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children for. In 2018, the siblings lobbying, led by Matt White and his mother Liz White, contributed to the passing of Indianas fertility-fraud law. But legally theres just no crime that touches this particular act.. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:14. Surveying the blonde hair and blue eyes of many of Clines offspring, the film briefly meditates on whether Clines crusade may have had white supremacist underpinnings (Quiverfull ideology, which promotes patriarchal gender ideology and other conservative ideals and bemoans European population decline, certainly seems to). Jourdan told The Guardian that "he's active around his community. He was given a one-year suspended sentence and served no jail time, the Associated Press reports. 1,222, This story has been shared 1,076 times. This was a person in a position of power, Fox 59 anchor Angela Ganote says. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Dr. Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, . ET An explosive documentary on Netflix takes a new look at the life and work of Dr. Donald Cline, an Indiana University graduate who opened his infamous fertility clinic in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1979. Will There Be a Season 2 of '1923' on Paramount+? According to the Netflix documentary, "Our Father," that isn't always the case. She considers this adultery. A 2019 report by The Atlantic details how the half-siblings found one another and began to piece everything together. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. And I will do this until the fking day I die., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, White rhino born at San Diego Zoo means significant step toward saving endangered species, I found out my gynecologist was my secret dad and he knew it, Florida woman awarded $5.25M after doc used own sperm to impregnate her, Brazil scientists test frozen jaguar semen to help species, wrongfully impregnating hordes of his patients with his own sperm, lied to investigators with the Indiana attorney generals office, pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice, wouldnt even have been allowed to be a donor. "Our Father" tells the story of Dr. Donald Cline. 2022-04-22 05:00:01 - Paris/France. [10] Then Indiana attorney general Tim DeLaney declined to prosecute because "there was no law forbidding Clines conduct. Our Father suggests Cline may have been motivated by ideology born of his affiliation with an extremist Christian sect called Quiverfull, which encourages followers to reproduce as prolifically as possible to meet Gods mandate to be fruitful and multiply, and install adherents in positions of power. The number of confirmed siblings continued to grow as more people added their DNA to 23andMes database. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. The interesting documentary film is bound to raise many questions in the viewer's mind regarding Dr. Donald Cline's religious beliefs and the motives behind his heinous actions. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital One of Clines children, Jacoba Ballard, was the first to uncover the story, and now she and her many half-siblings want to get their story out there to as many people as possibleespecially because it might be the only form of justice they may get. Many of the donor-children live within a 25-mile radius of each other. Cline has not publicly acknowledged or commented ties to the tradition. [5], In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Dr. Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, she discovered a biological connection to eight previously unknown half-siblings. Our Father. Although some scenes in the upcoming documentary could be fictional or dramatized, the plot is true. Our marriage will be over. In State of Indiana v. Donald Cline, Cline pleaded guilty to two Level 6 felony counts of obstruction of justice and received a one-year suspended sentence. (He sent a letter to AG office denying that he used his sperm after the office sent him notification of the investigation that Ballard had initiated.) Doctor Donald Cline's crimes were brought to light thanks to an investigation by FOX59's Angela Ganote. Cline retired from practice in 2009, and in 2017 was convicted on two felony counts for obstructing the investigation, as per Netflix, for lying to investigators about using his own sperm. Donald Lee Cline (born December 10, 1938) is a convicted felon and an American former medical doctor of obstetrics and gynaecology. 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Netflix's bombshell new documentary, Our Father, which premiered on May 11, 2022, reveals chilling details about a once renowned fertility doctor, Donald Cline, from Indianapolis. But years later, owing to Ballards initial 23andMe findings, it became clear that the rule had been broken. "Donald Cline unfortunately isn't the only fertility doctor who has committed this unspeakable violation and I want to hopefully prevent it from happening again. The Quiverfull motion is a Christian-based philosophy held by some {couples} who take into account massive households blessings from God. There's no hiding.". Hes known in our community as a philanthropist. And that was it. Cline, a prominent member of his church, had several church elders testify on his behalf at his court date, and, Ballard says in the film, the judge seemed unusually sympathetic toward him. Another sibling, Heather Woock, who shared her story publicly, began receiving phone calls pointedly inquiring if she was interested in purchasing a cemetery plot. There is still no federal law on the subject. Cline pled guilty, and received two suspended sentences (meaning he served no jail time), and a $500 fine. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? After . Photo: Netflix. By Gina Tron. What happened after the events on Netflix's chilling documentary? Perhaps that wasnt saying much, considering that fertility doctors were still a fairly new phenomenon when Cline opened his specialty practice in 1979. And I will fight for every sibling that I have that I know, that I dont know, and for every woman you assaulted. Little is known about Donald Cline's wife Susie, but according to the film the couple had two children - Donna and . This week, Netflix released the documentary Our Father, the story of Dr. Donald Cline, a man who used his own sperm to inseminate his patients at his Indianapolis fertility clinic. In an interlocutory appeal, a panel of Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision, finding that "Matthew sufficiently stated breach of contract and tort claims for which relief can be granted. NetflixIndiana fertility specialist Dr. Donald Cline has never served a day in prison. 2022-05-06 12:12:49 - Paris/France. I wasnt., I was raped 15 times and didnt even know it, former Cline patient Liz White says during her interview, a wrenching counterpoint. Cline sibling Julie Harmon makes another wild connection, saying Quiverfull, at the time of the siblings' conception, focused on producing more members of the white race. Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. [22], States which have enacted legislation: Arizona, Arkansas, California,[23] Colorado,[23] Florida,[23] Indiana, Iowa,[24] Texas,[23] Utah, States proposing legislation: Michigan, Nebraska,[23] New York,[23] Ohio,[25] Kentucky, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington. Donald Cline: Netflix Doc Spotlights Fertility Doctor Who Used Own Sperm Crime How a Group of Siblings Uncovered a Fertility Doctor Who Was Serially Impregnating His Own Patients The sibling's. One sibling sold another a wagon at a garage sale. At last count, DNA test results have linked Dr. Cline to 57 children of former patients. Jacoba Ballard in Our Father. [9], Ballard filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Indiana who initiated an investigation in 2015. She handled the potentially awkward moment with grace. The Medical Licensing Board of Indiana revoked his license in 2018. His shoe size averages 10 (U.S) and 9 (U.K). An only child who was donor-conceived, she was always curious about whether she had any half siblings. Directed by Lucie Jordan, 'Our Father' is a compelling true-crime documentary on Netflix. In the first official trailer for the forthcoming documentary Our Father, a routine Ancestry.com DNA test uncovers the misdeeds of Dr. Donald Cline. Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? The subject of Netflix's newest hit documentary inseminated dozens of patients with his own sperm without their consent. At the time, Indiana law didn't specifically prohibit fertility doctors from using their own sperm. [2]. When the county prosecutors finally investigated Cline, the results were disappointing to the siblings, the women he inseminated, and their families. Increases the penalty for deception involving the identity of a person or the identity or quantity of property to a Level 6 felony if the offense involves a misrepresentation relating to: (1) a medical procedure, device, or drug; and (2) human reproductive material. [2] He practiced there until retiring in 2009. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. It tells the story of an Indianapolis fertility doctor who inseminated patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge. The Netflix documentary, directed by Lucie Jourdan, heavily hinted at Cline's strong religious beliefs motivating his misdeeds. Lucie Jourdan makes her directorial documentary debut with the film, which comes from Netflix and Blumhouse Pictures. In 2017, Dr. Cline pleaded guilty to two felony obstruction of justice charges after falsely denying to state investigators that he had been using his own sperm to inseminate patients. Meet Storm Reid. When six of the half-siblings confronted Cline, according to the documentary, he admitted to using his own sperm and said their parents' records were destroyed. What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuck pic.twitter.com/RTCyUUbkpw, Our Father hit Netflix on May 11, full of twists, emotionally wrenching interviews and more sort-of-distracting reenactments than I thought there'd be. '1923' Episode 7 Recap: "The Rule of Five Hundred". Despite. Cline was not involved with the documentary or interviewed for it. The new Netflix documentary 'Our Father' details how Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist in Indianapolis, Indiana, used his own sperm to inseminate patients without their consent Though hes played by an actor, Keith Boyle, in the movie, he refused to participate in the film. "No consent. Controversy and jail time 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? Warning: If you haven't seen the documentary, this article contains spoilers and some material that may be upsetting. According to prosecutors at the time, however, Cline did not commit rape against the women he inseminated with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent. As a lawyer explains in the documentary, it would have been extremely hard to charge Cline with rape, both because Indiana didn't have a specific law considering what he did a sexual violation and because he was well-known in the community, as the preeminent fertility doctor in Indianapolis during his career. At the time The Atlantic's 2019 article on Cline was published, he was in his 80s and still living in his home town of Indianapolis, Indiana. (Alyssa Schukar) By the 1970s, hundreds of doctors were performing . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It examines and unravels the shocking actions of Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist from Indianapolis who inseminated numerous patients with his own sperm, unbeknownst to them. such as the widely covered case of Dr Donald Cline in . Is this some sort of sexual thing? But former friend and colleague Mark. Dr Donald stands at 5 feet 11 inches tall. In 2014, Jacoba Ballard decided to take an at-home DNA test. Indiana women sue Netflix for outing them as disgraced Indy fertility doctor's 'secret children' Dr. Donald Cline inseminated dozens of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s and 1980s. Netflix's new documentary exposes the shocking plot that Dr Donald Cline implemented in the late 70s and 80s - but where is he now? "I feel like he's hiding something more sinister.". Because of Clines lack of cooperation and the unknown number of patients he had the opportunity to inseminate up until he stopped practicing in 2009, there is no way to know for sure how many siblings there may be. All rights reserved. Cline is believed to have used his own sperm on patients between 1979 and 1986 By the time the flood of DNA matches started to dry up, it was clear that Dr Donald Cline had fathered more than 50 . Netflix's latest true-crime documentary, "Our Father," centers on the fraudulent fertility practice of . Our Father drops on Netflix on May 11. She's introduced pretty early on, and over the course of the film, the sibling count rises. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It just completely washes away your identity, Julie Harmon, another sibling, says. They all shared a father, fertility doctor Donald Cline. In a written directors statement for the Our Father press notes, director Lucie Jourdan said that Cline did everything in his power to silence [the siblings] and the making of this film. He reportedly told Jourdan, The world doesnt need to know., This story has been shared 1,794 times. The lug nuts disappeared off Ballards car one day, she shares in the film. Our Father ultimately succeeds in its mission of bringing the siblings story into the spotlightand presciently emphasizes the fraught framework by which it is surrounded. And while Clines sins may have gone legally unpunished thus far, Ballard refuses to rest until justice is served. As more and more people learn the former Zionsville doctor is their biological father, outraged victims search for answers, legal and existential", "Doctor's victims seek fertility fraud law", "Our Father: Who is Dr Donald Cline and where is he now? "Thanks to accessible DNA testing, these perpetrators are finally being caught and exposed, and forced into a spotlight they never imagined.". [4], Cline received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his M.D. He also began obliquely threatening the siblings with retribution should they continue their effort to bring charges against him and take their story public. It sounds almost too twisted to be real, but unfortunately, Our Father is an investigative documentary, and Dr. Donald Cline is a real man. In the trailer for Our Father, some of Cline's other children recall that they also learned about him through DNA kits. The siblings acknowledge that without hearing the truth from Cline, they only have theories. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below. But in 2014, within several blocks of Cline's clinic, Jacoba Ballard, a local resident, got her DNA test results back from genealogy company 23andme. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. When Will The 1923 Season Finale Premiere on Paramount+? She allowed the physician to select what she thought would be a suitable donors sample for the insemination procedure. Cline, now in his 80s, served no time for his actions. One of his former patients interviewed for the Atlantic story, Liz White, told the magazine the former doctor lives down the street over there. For the forthcoming documentary our Father & # x27 ; children for began to piece everything together trial dr donald cline documentary details. Massive households blessings from God ( U.S ) and 9 ( U.K ) ( Alyssa Schukar ) by the details., which comes from Netflix and Blumhouse Pictures earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased our... 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