I know Im going to call them and Im going to ruin their life, she says in the documentary. After interning at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, he served two years in the Air Force and 12 years as inactive reserve. explained in the documentary. Jody Madeira, a law professor at Indiana University, notes in the film that "in order for him to produce this sperm sample, he had to masturbate in very close proximity to the office where a patient was waiting." Despite the victims' and children's ongoing calls for justice, Cline was never charged with rape. He told his patients that the sperm donors were anonymous medical residents, and that no single donors sperm was used more than three times. Cline opened his practice in 1979 and is believed to have inseminated women with his own sperm until 1986. Netflix's latest true-crime documentary, "Our Father," centers on the fraudulent fertility practice of . Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. In Our Father, a new Netflix documentary, director Lucie Jourdan interviews many of Cline's biological children, who describe both the trauma of discovering their hidden lineage and the. Unfortunately for White, Ballard and the rest of the clinicians descendants, sickness, they claim, runs through Clines blood. Jacoba Ballard discovered her mother's fertility doctor in Indianapolis used his own sperm during insemination. ", "Indiana's Medical Licensing Board says Donald Cline may not reapply", "When you find out your mother's fertility doctor is likely your biological father", "Fertility Doctor Arrested for Allegedly Using His Own Sperm 'Around 50 Times' to Impregnate Patients", "Donald Cline paid more than $1.3M in civil suits", "Our Father: Angela Ganote talks about her role", "Tim DeLaney on The Prosecution of Dr. Donald Cline - Bose McKinney & Evans", "Baby God: how DNA testing uncovered a shocking web of fertility fraud", "Elizabeth Smart Confronts Alleged Fertility Fraud Doctor (Part 2)", "Fertility doctor who lied about using his own sperm avoids jail time", "Elizabeth White, Matthew White v. Donald Cline, M.D. And That's A Good Thing", "Our Father review an undeniably gripping tale of a fertility doctor's shocking crimes", "Everything You Need to Know About 'Our Father': Inside the sinister true story of Donald Cline", "The Fertility Doctor's Secret: Donald Cline must have thought no one would ever know. Donald Cline, who was once described as the "best infertility doctor in Indianapolis", was known for being a premier fertility expert in the 1970s to 1990s. After reaching out to her newfound family members and researching the mystery of their shared relation, Ballard and her siblings soon discovered with horror what their parents trusted doctor had done. Here's what we do know. 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A Monkey Peed in Chase Stokes's Eye While Filming 'Outer Banks', 'Outer Banks' Season 3: That Kiss Between Jonathan Daviss and Carlacia Grant Wasn't in the Original Script, 'Outer Banks' Stars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Break Down JJ and Kiaras "Overdue" Kiss: "I Love That Moment", 'Outer Banks' Stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline Break Down That Cheating Plot: "I Was Really, Really Nervous", '1923' Season 1 Finale Recap: "Nothing Left To Lose". He could have stopped at any point, but he kept doing it over and over and over.. [10] Ballard played the audio of the voice mail. Cline opened a fertility clinic in Indiana in 1979 and secretly used his own sperm to impregnate women who visited him for artificial insemination, claiming the donations were from medical residents. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer below. Phil in December 2019 that she was finally able to accept the truth. Cline's case is the subject of Our Father, a new documentary about what happened when one of Cline's biological children took an at-home DNA test, discovered the shocking truth and attempted to get justice through the legal system. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? She says the Indiana Attorney General's Office sent her emails, she looked up the people who replied and everyone copied on the emails, and through that, she found that "one of the people with the state" had a "Quiverfull" email address. It reads: Establishes a cause of action for civil fertility fraud and provides that a prevailing plaintiff may be awarded: (1) compensatory and punitive damages; or (2) liquidated damages of $10,000. I only donated my own sample nine or 10 times," he said. But where is he now? His mom Liz was unknowingly injected with Clines semen 15 times before she finally became pregnant. The Children Want Justice", "Fertility fraud: Iowa law criminalizes reproductive material deceit", "The U.S. Is Experiencing An Explosion Of Fertility Fraud Legislation. It starts with Jacoba. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Gonna lose my wife. It was a violation of him into me, said Diana Kiesler, whose daughter Julie is Clines biological child. In 2017, Cline was convicted on two felony counts for obstructing the state attorney general's investigation into the matter. Discover the Louisiana Filming Locations, Tig Notaro Is In Every Netflix Movie Now, As She Should Be, How To Watch 'Magic Mike's Last Dance,' Now Available From On-Demand Retailers, Stream It Or Skip It: EO on the Criterion Channel, a Donkey's Life Interpreted as Art. At the end, it's revealed that there are at least 94 Cline siblings. According to the Netflix documentary, "Our Father," that isn't always the case. Nearly all of the half siblings, including Ballard, are afflicted with chorionic autoimmune diseases. Woock says she hopes the documentary will "prompt Cline's former patients to have an open conversation with their children, so they can take DNA tests to confirm their genetic identities. At last count, DNA test results have linked Dr. Cline to 57 children of former patients. It's unclear if Cline is actually the one speaking in the recording. New Netflix documentary Our Father tells the story of how DNA testing brought Donald Cline's use of his own sperm in dozens of his own patients throughout the '70s and '80s to light. Dr. Donald Cline Received a One-Year Probation Sentence a Few Years Ago By Leila Kozma May 12 2022, Published 12:42 p.m. Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan break tradition in Father o King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage and give to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Drug-resistant stomach bug spreading across US: 'Serious public health alert', Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell Spare released, Jordyn Woods supports Selena Gomez amid singers feud with Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, RHONJ recap: Jennifer Aydin mocks Rachel Fudas terrible nose job, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. Donald Cline opened his clinic ( top) in 1979, when fertility was a relatively new specialty. He's going to grandchildren's swim meets and things like that. It's implied in the doc that Cline collected his own sperm just before he inseminated patients. He couldnt be criminally charged with rape or battery, explains former Marion County, Ind., prosecutor Tim Delaney in the doc, because, At the end of the day, theres just no crime that touches this particular act [in the eyes of the law], he said. [20] On May 17, 2019, Indiana became the first state to designate fertility fraud as a Level 6 felony. The film emphasizes how Clines faith, which developed after he accidentally struck and killed a young girl with his car, pervaded his practice as a doctor. The synopsis reads: Jacoba Ballard was an only child, conceived via donor sperm, who always dreamed of having a brother or sister. The individuals touched by this were very emotional and had a feeling I [was there] to deliver catharsis. Although some scenes in the upcoming documentary could be fictional or dramatized, the plot is true. Cline's jail sentence of 365 days was suspended. All Rights reserved. He also began obliquely threatening the siblings with retribution should they continue their effort to bring charges against him and take their story public. Many viewers finished the film wondering what happened to the doctor who violated his patients for over a decade (at least, that's the confirmed span thus far). The attorney general then conducted an independent DNA test. 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. [13] Charges were filed against Cline. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? [1][2] It is believed that between 1974 and 1987, Cline conceived numerous children without disclosing himself as the sperm donor to his patients. Unfortunately, yes. [2] He practiced there until retiring in 2009. Dr. Donald Cline is still living as a free man in Indianapolis, Indiana according to a 2019 report from The Atlantic. Our marriage will be over. He had his staff recite prayers together, advised patients to pray on their treatment choices, decorated his office with Christian sayings, and had an affinity for the verse Jeremiah 1:5 (Before I formed you in your mothers womb I knew you.), which is often featured in material extoling the Quiverfull lifestyle. During the 1970s and 80s, a fertility specialist in Indiana named Dr. Donald Cline inseminated dozens of patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge or consent. Ballard was one of the first. INDIANAPOLIS Netflix's new documentary "Our Father" tells the story of a Zionsville fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm to inseminate dozens of patients.. Dr. Donald L. Cline pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in 2017 and admitted that he inseminated patients using his semen without their knowledge in the 1970's and 1980's. Several of Cline's children also live in Indianapolis, some within blocks of their biological father. "Uh, this is Dr. Cline, You know, I thought I was doing the right thing. The film depicts the discovery of Cline's illicit activities, with Jacoba Ballard recalling how she took a DNA test and discovered that she had multiple half-siblings, though she was an only child. [7][8] Cline is now known to have covertly fathered at least 94 offspring. When the county prosecutors finally investigated Cline, the results were disappointing to the siblings, the women he inseminated, and their families. Don Cline was also my fertility doctor, she tearfully confesses on camera. Later, in 2019, Indiana became the first state to pass legislation making it a criminal offense for fertility doctors to use their own sperm without their patients' consent. So was it sexual? But theres eight of us, whats going on here?. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Following his felony conviction in 2018, Cline surrendered his medical license. such as the widely covered case of Dr Donald Cline in . Then we hear from Ballard, who points out that most of the biological Cline kids have blond hair and blue eyes. Delivered on weekdays. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:14. I dont deny that it was a sexual violation, [but] Dr. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. He also has connections to Quiverfull, a Christian movement that encourages having as many children as possible. His former church responded to the Netflix documentary in an interview with Fox59, claiming that Cline had admitted to them that he had been unethical, but that they'd had no idea the breadth of his deceit. They had hoped an investigation into his medical practices would yield sufficient evidence to bring charges of rape. Despite. 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. However, it turned out he had a sickening secret. In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Dr. Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, . The streaming platform Netflix premieres on May 11 documentary film "Our Father", As per the documentary, Cline retired from medicine in 2009, and . In the trailer for Our Father, some of Cline's other children recall that they also learned about him through DNA kits. One sibling sold another a wagon at a garage sale. Cline was a successful fertility doctor who practiced medicine in Indiana, providing treatments such as IVF for hundreds if not thousands of patients, according to IndyStar. (Still, I watched intently during its entire 97-minute run time.). (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.) Where is Donald Cline? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The doctor's actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. Shop your favorite products and well find the best deal with a single click. [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. 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? At the time, Indiana law didn't specifically prohibit fertility doctors from using their own sperm. I just felt bad for my mother, said White. Each time she saw a new connection appear on her profile, shed steel herself before reaching out to deliver the news. Marie Claire is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. This is despite the victims interviewed in the documentary saying that they never would've consented to him being the sperm donor, and that they felt violated by what he did. Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. We learn in the film that Cline has an affinity for the Bible verse "Jeremiah 1:5," and Ballard notes it's "one of the Bible verses Quiverfull uses." Directed by Lucie Jourdan, Our Father zooms in on Zionsville, Indiana, where 35-year-old Jacoba Ballards DNA test reveals the existence of seven half-siblings. Netflix has served another gripping documentary, this time exploring the controversial case involving Dr. Donald Cline and the high number of children he fathered during his time as a fertility doctor. (An actor for Cline is used in other parts of the film to re-create scenes). The number of confirmed siblings continued to grow as more people added their DNA to 23andMes database. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. We were told there were no laws to charge Cline or others that would engage in similar deplorable actions and the only thing to do would be to create a law. Dr. Donald Cline has been famous in the media as the fertility doctor who inseminated his sperm into several women without consent. Sibling Jason Hyatt also speculated about Cline's motive: "Is it to further his career? 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. Hes an elder of the church.. An ancestry DNA horror story Dr. Donald Cline was a respected man in his community, elder of his church and a fertility doctor with his own medical practice.
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