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Donald Lee Cline (born December 10, 1938) is a former American medical doctor of obstetrics and gynecology and convicted felon.[1][2] Between 1974[clarification needed] and 1987, Cline sired over 94 children without disclosing himself as the sperm donor to his patients.[3] As of May 11, 2022, Cline has been confirmed as the biological father of 94 doctor-conceived offspring.[4]

Key Information

Education and career

[edit]

Cline received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his M.D. from Indiana University School of Medicine. After interning at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, he served two years in the Air Force and 12 years as inactive reserve. In 1979, Cline opened his clinic on 2020 West 86th Street in Indianapolis and specialized in reproductive endocrinology & infertility.[2] He practiced there until retiring in 2009. Following his felony conviction in 2018, Cline surrendered his medical license. He is prohibited from reinstatement by the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana.[5]

Fertility fraud

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In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, she discovered a biological connection to eight previously unknown half-siblings.[a] Her genetic genealogy research ultimately revealed Cline, her mother's fertility doctor, as her biological father.[7][8] Cline is now known to have covertly fathered at least 94 offspring.[9]

Investigations and litigation

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Ballard filed a complaint with the Attorney General of Indiana who initiated an investigation in 2015.[10] Then Indiana attorney general Tim DeLaney declined to prosecute because "there was no law forbidding Cline's conduct."[11] Ballard then pursued media coverage. Fox59 anchor Angela Ganote investigated her story.[10] During her investigation, Ganote learned that Cline had lied to the attorney general's office in their investigation.[12] Documents show that he had told investigators, "I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use my own sample for insemination nor was I a donor."[13]

After a story aired on Fox59, Cline left a voicemail for Ballard contradicting what he had told investigators. "Uh, this is Dr. Cline, You know, I thought I was doing the right thing. I only donated my own sample nine or 10 times," he said. He had placed the call to ask Ballard for help with damage control. "Um, my wife and I, uh, after 57 years of marriage, um, we have had a great deal of problems over this. She considers this adultery. I donated my sample. Gonna lose my wife. Our marriage will be over. Can you help?"[13]

Ganote told DeLaney that Cline was lying to them.[10] Ballard played the audio of the voice mail. The attorney general then conducted an independent DNA test. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity.[13] Charges were filed against Cline. 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.[14]

On November 30, 2016, Elizabeth White and son Matthew White filed a proposed complaint for damages and demand for jury trial with the State of Indiana Department of Insurance. The proposed complaint cites negligence, constructive fraud, battery, breach of contract, breach of express warranty, and negligent hiring or retention as to defendant and reproductive endocrinology associates.[15] They then filed a multi-count complaint in Marion Superior Court. Cline's motion to dismiss was denied. 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."[16]

As of May 2022, Cline had paid out more than $1.35 million to settle three civil lawsuits filed by donor children and families. Three more are pending.[9]

List of Cline court cases

[edit]
Case Type Court Date started Date ended Disposition
State of Indiana v. Donald L. Cline Felony 6 Marion Superior Court 26 September 9, 2016 December 14, 2017 Decided; plea guilty, one-year suspended sentence, fine $500; petition for AMS filed and denied[17]
Jacoba Ballard, Deborah Pierce v. Anonymous Health Care Provider, John Doe, M.D. CT - Civil Tort Marion Superior Court 3 October 5, 2016 January 24, 2022 Decided; dismissed with prejudice
Julie Manes, Dianna Kiesler v. Anonymous Health Care Provider d/b/a Anonymous, John Doe CT - Civil Tort Marion Superior Court 5 January 13, 2017 January 25, 2022 Decided; dismissed, with prejudice
Donald L. Cline v. State of Indiana CR - Direct Appeals (Non Capital, Non-LWOP) Court of Appeals June 26, 2017 February 23, 2018 Closed[16]
Elizabeth White, Matthew White v. Anonymous Physician 1, Indianapolis Infertility, Inc. and dba Reproductive Endocrinology Assoc CT - Civil Tort Marion Superior Court, Civil Division 4 December 13, 2016 Pending (active)[16]

Legislation

[edit]

The Cline fertility fraud and similar doctor-donated sperm cases exposed a lack of legislation specific to infertility patients' and their children's rights.[b][19] Ballard lobbied the state of Indiana for change.[20] On May 17, 2019, Indiana became the first state to designate fertility fraud as a Level 6 felony.[21] S.E.A. 174, P.L. 215 became effective July 1, 2019. 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. Specifies the statute of limitations for civil fertility fraud. 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. Urges the legislative council to assign the topic of fertility laws, including gestational surrogacy, to an appropriate study committee.[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

There is no Federal legislation specifically applicable to fertility fraud.

Effect on Cline's patients and their children

[edit]

Genetic health concerns

[edit]

There is a high presence of auto-immune disorders among Cline's donor-fathered children. Cline's own auto-immune condition, rheumatoid arthritis, would have excluded him as an eligible sperm donor at his own clinic.[26]

Many of the donor-children live within a 25-mile (40 km) radius of each other. Their concern with consanguinity and its potential genetic disorders increases as their own children grow up and develop intimate relationships.[27][28] In an extended profile piece in The Atlantic, reporter Sarah Zhang wrote:

The donor children have begun cataloging the ways their own paths have crossed, too. White went to Purdue at the same time as one of his half brothers. One sibling sold another a wagon at a garage sale. Two of them lived on the same street. Two had kids on the same softball team. They're worried that their children are getting old enough to date soon. 'Did you not consider we all live in a relatively close area?' one sister said she has wondered about Cline. 'Did you really think … that we wouldn't meet? That we wouldn't maybe date? That we wouldn't have kids who might date? Did you never consider that?' Cline now looms over their kids' every innocent crush, their every prom date.[29]

Impact statements

[edit]
Todd Foster, donor child: "It was like this gut punch. Someone just cut the tether to who I am. Because we're all taught our identity resides in our blood, right? That's why I took the damn DNA test. But yeah, this complete feeling like my whole identity, is that gone? Am I no longer a Foster? I literally had to just rest my hand and kind of sit there for a minute. Just like, whoa. The weight of it. I woke up the next morning and, again, excuse my language but just kind of like, what the fuck?! This cannot be real. This is … what? And I think it was that way for a couple of weeks."[28]
Julie Manes, donor child: "It's devastating. It's changed my entire life. I've cried every day for the past two months. It's devastating to say the least. I believed for 34 years that my dad was my father. And he still is, but knowing that Cline did this is...horrible."[30]
Elizabeth White, mother: "My first words were, 'I was raped 15 times, and I didn't even know it.'"[31]

In media

[edit]

Donald Cline's fertility fraud is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled Our Father which premiered in May 2022.[27][32]

Personal life

[edit]

Cline has four children, including Donna and Doug, with his wife, Audrey, in addition to the 94 other children conceived by artificially inseminating women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent.[2]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Indiana Archives and Records Administration. "Donald Lee Cline in the Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944". Ancestry. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Wren, Adam (May 15, 2019). "Donald Cline: The Fertility Doctor Accused of Fraud: Donald Cline secretly used his own sperm to impregnate fertility patients more than 50 times, but committed no crime with the lewd betrayals. As more and more people learn the former Zionsville doctor is their biological father, outraged victims search for answers, legal and existential". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  3. ^ Miley, Scott L. (January 19, 2019). "Doctor's victims seek fertility fraud law". The Herald Bulletin. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Yeates, Cydney (May 11, 2022). "Our Father: Who is Dr Donald Cline and where is he now?". Metro. Associated Newspapers Limited.
  5. ^ Rudavsky, Shari (August 23, 2018). "Indiana's Medical Licensing Board says Donald Cline may not reapply". IndyStar. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  6. ^ Jourdan, Lucie (director) (2022). Our Father (Television production).
  7. ^ Rudavsky, Shari (August 27, 2017). "When you find out your mother's fertility doctor is likely your biological father". IndyStar.
  8. ^ King, Elizabeth (September 14, 2016). "Fertility Doctor Arrested for Allegedly Using His Own Sperm 'Around 50 Times' to Impregnate Patients". Complex. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Karpinski, Izzy (May 18, 2022). "Donald Cline paid more than $1.3M in civil suits". Fox59. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Karpinski, Izzy (May 11, 2022). "Our Father: Angela Ganote talks about her role". Fox59. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  11. ^ DeLaney, Tim (May 10, 2022). "Tim DeLaney on The Prosecution of Dr. Donald Cline - Bose McKinney & Evans". Bose McKinney & Evans LLP. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  12. ^ Horton, Adrian (December 2, 2020). "Baby God: how DNA testing uncovered a shocking web of fertility fraud". the Guardian. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c True Crime Daily (November 10, 2016). "Elizabeth Smart Confronts Alleged Fertility Fraud Doctor (Part 2)". Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  14. ^ "Fertility doctor who lied about using his own sperm avoids jail time". www.cbsnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Elizabeth White, Matthew White v. Donald Cline, M.D. and Indianapolis Infertility, Inc" (PDF). The Indiana Lawyer.
  16. ^ a b c Stancombe, Katie (July 29, 2020). "Ex-fertility doctor who used own sperm must face civil lawsuit, COA affirms". The Indiana Lawyer.
  17. ^ Rudavsky, Shari (December 14, 2017). "Fertility doctor Donald Cline pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice related to claims he inseminated some patients". IndyStar. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  18. ^ Pfeffer Billauer, Barbara (April 11, 2022). "Fertility Fraud: A Fertility Industry Danger". American Council on Science and Health. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  19. ^ Eunjung, Ariana (November 23, 2018). "A press for justice on reproductive fraud". The Washington Post. www.heraldnews.com. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  20. ^ Ryckaert, Vic (2022). "6 questions for woman who brought down fertility doctor". WRTV. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  21. ^ Odendahl, Marilyn (June 25, 2019). "Zipping into statutes: Overview of new laws for 2019". The Indiana Lawyer. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "Legislative Update: Fertility fraud and deception". May 17, 2019.
  23. ^ a b c d e f MacBride, Katie (January 6, 2021). "Fertility Doctors Used Their Sperm to Get Patients Pregnant. The Children Want Justice". Vice. Retrieved July 5, 2022.,
  24. ^ "Fertility fraud: Iowa law criminalizes reproductive material deceit". Des Moines Register. July 5, 2022.
  25. ^ Trachman, Ellen (February 12, 2020). "The U.S. Is Experiencing An Explosion Of Fertility Fraud Legislation. And That's A Good Thing". Above the Law. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  26. ^ Mangan, Lucy (May 11, 2022). "Our Father review – an undeniably gripping tale of a fertility doctor's shocking crimes". TheGuardian.com.
  27. ^ a b Wang, Lydia (April 15, 2022). "Everything You Need to Know About 'Our Father': Inside the sinister true story of Donald Cline". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Lauren Bavis; Jake Harper. "Episode 7: Right In His Own Eyes". Sick (Podcast). Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  29. ^ Zhang, Sarah (March 18, 2019). "The Fertility Doctor's Secret: Donald Cline must have thought no one would ever know. Then DNA testing came along". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  30. ^ Jefferson, Steve (November 21, 2016). "Biological children of fertility doctor and their mothers bond to fight". WTHR. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  31. ^ Wang, Audrey (June 2022), 'Our Father': Avoiding and encountering the pitfalls of true-crime documentaries, retrieved July 12, 2022
  32. ^ Felbin, Sarah (April 14, 2022). "Watch The Exclusive Trailer For 'Our Father,' Netflix's Latest True Crime Doc". Women's Health. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
[edit]
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Donald Cline

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Donald Cline is a retired American obstetrician-gynecologist who operated a fertility clinic in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he secretly inseminated numerous patients with his own semen without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in the births of dozens of his biological offspring. In 2017, Cline pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice after falsely denying to Marion County prosecutors that he had used his own sperm in treatments or falsified patient records to conceal it, for which he received a one-year suspended sentence with no probation and was ordered to pay $1,200 in court costs. He retired from medical practice in 2009 and permanently surrendered his Indiana medical license in 2018 amid civil complaints and investigations into his conduct. Cline's actions came to light in the mid-2010s when several of his biological children, seeking answers about their ancestry, utilized DNA testing services and matched as half-siblings, prompting inquiries that revealed the extent of his deceptions and led to family disruptions including risks of inadvertent among the offspring. His case highlighted gaps in legal protections against at the time, spurring non-retroactive state legislation in and elsewhere to prohibit physicians from using their own gametes without explicit , though Cline faced no direct criminal charges for the inseminations due to expired statutes of limitations and the absence of specific statutes.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Upbringing

Donald Lee Cline was born on December 10, 1938, in , . Public records and biographical accounts provide scant details on his parents or immediate family origins, with no verified names or professions attributed to them in available sources. Cline's early upbringing in the Indianapolis area preceded his pursuit of higher education at , though specific influences from his family environment on his later career remain undocumented.

Medical Training and Qualifications

Donald Cline earned his undergraduate degree from before obtaining his degree from in 1964. Following graduation, he completed an internship at Methodist Hospital in . Cline specialized in and gynecology, with a focus on , and held an active medical license in from 1964 until surrendering it in 2017 amid investigations into his practices. His credentials allowed him to establish a in in 1979, where he treated patients for issues. No records indicate formal in reproductive endocrinology, a that emerged later in the , though he operated within the norms of contemporary fertility medicine.

Professional Career

Obstetrics and Gynecology Practice

Donald Cline established his and gynecology practice in , , where he specialized in women's reproductive health, including , gynecological examinations, and emerging treatments. In 1979, he opened a dedicated amid the field's nascent development as a medical , at a time when relied on fresh, locally sourced donor sperm rather than commercial banks. His practice incorporated standard OB/GYN procedures alongside interventions, such as intrauterine inseminations, which were performed in-office without the common in later protocols. Cline's clinic sourced donors primarily from medical residents and other professionals in the area, adhering to the era's norms of where patients were often counseled against revealing non-biological paternity to offspring. The practice operated until his retirement in 2009, spanning over three decades during which infertility treatments evolved from procedures to more regulated practices. Fresh sperm inseminations, favored for purportedly higher viability, formed a core component, reflecting the limited technological and ethical frameworks of 1970s-1980s . Prior to public scrutiny, Cline enjoyed a positive professional reputation among patients, described as gentle and effective, with his office adorned with photographs of infants born from his assisted conceptions, symbolizing successful outcomes in a challenging field. He positioned himself as a leading local expert in fertility, capitalizing on the demand for such services in an era before fertilization became widespread.

Development of Fertility Specialization

Donald Cline, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in , began incorporating into his routine services during the mid-1970s amid rising patient inquiries for assistance. As treatments gained traction without formal subspecialty certification requirements, Cline expanded his focus to medicine, establishing a dedicated in 1979 when the field was still nascent and lacked standardized protocols or large-scale commercial banks. In this era, practitioners like Cline typically sourced anonymous donors—often medical residents or students—providing fresh semen for due to its perceived superior and conception rates compared to emerging frozen alternatives. Cline's procedures emphasized timing inseminations within hours of donor collection to align with patients' windows, reflecting the technical demands and limited technological options of 1970s . This specialization positioned his practice as a local resource for couples facing conception challenges, operating within a broader context of minimal oversight and physician discretion in donor selection and .

Reputation and Success Prior to Revelations

Donald Cline opened a fertility medicine clinic in in 1979, coinciding with the early formalization of as a subspecialty lacking established large-scale sperm banks or standardized protocols. As a reproductive endocrinologist and obstetrician-gynecologist, he developed a specialization in techniques, drawing patients who had encountered failures elsewhere and positioning his practice as a primary resource for challenges in central . Cline earned a reputation among patients as a kind and gentle physician, which contributed to trust in his high-volume clinic operations, including the management of donor schedules and procedures purportedly using fresh for potentially superior outcomes compared to frozen alternatives at the time. His office displayed photographs of infants he had assisted in conceiving, underscoring his role in enabling numerous successful pregnancies and reinforcing his standing as a top local expert through the and beyond. The practice sustained steady demand, allowing Cline to operate continuously until his retirement in 2009 without contemporaneous professional complaints or regulatory scrutiny regarding his methods. This reflected effective patient outcomes in treatments within the era's norms, where anonymous donor inseminations were routine and oversight minimal.

Insemination Practices

Techniques and Procedures Used

Cline's insemination procedures followed the standard by donor (AID) practices of the era, involving the manual deposition of into a patient's reproductive tract using a or , typically targeting the (intracervical insemination) rather than the , as fresh, unwashed was employed to preserve viability without processing. Patients were instructed to visit the on days aligned with , often requiring 2-3 sessions per and extending over several months until conception occurred; for instance, one patient underwent approximately 15 inseminations across five months in 1981-1982. Semen was collected fresh—ideally within an hour of —to optimize and fertilization potential, a method Cline represented as sourced from anonymous medical residents or students when purported donor supplies were unavailable, though he admitted to substituting his own in at least 50 cases without disclosure. During the procedure, patients disrobed and lay alone in an examination room wearing a , after which Cline would enter to perform the injection, minimizing direct interaction to maintain the illusion of . To reduce detectability, Cline occasionally mixed his own semen with that from a legitimate donor, aiming to align physical traits (such as or appearance) with the non-biological father's profile, a deviation from ethical norms that lacked or . No formal donor records were maintained, contravening emerging guidelines for in , and procedures omitted disease screening or standard in later protocols.

Timeline and Scale of Activities

Donald Cline's use of his own for artificial inseminations without patients' knowledge or occurred primarily during the and , spanning approximately 1972 to 1988. This period aligned with his obstetrics and gynecology practice in , where he specialized in fertility treatments before formal sperm banks and frozen protocols became widespread in response to emerging health risks like transmission. Cline typically performed inseminations in his office using fresh , misleading patients by claiming it came from anonymous medical students or residents, with a supposed limit of three uses per donor to minimize genetic risks. In legal affidavits and admissions during investigations, Cline acknowledged using his own in about 50 inseminations. However, consumer DNA testing by offspring—beginning around 2014 via platforms like and —has confirmed at least 94 biological children, indicating a substantially larger scale than admitted. This figure continues to grow as more individuals pursue , with early investigations identifying clusters of half-siblings born to separate mothers treated at Cline's clinic. The higher number of confirmed offspring suggests either underreporting by Cline or multiple pregnancies from fewer inseminations, though the former is more likely given patterns in DNA matches linking dozens of families.

Contextual Norms in 1970s-1980s Fertility Medicine

In the 1970s and 1980s, by donor (AID) in the United States relied heavily on fresh specimens, typically collected on-site from anonymous donors such as medical students or staff who received nominal compensation. Procedures were physician-directed, with inseminations often performed twice per in a clinical setting using simple syringes, and donor matching emphasized superficial traits like physical resemblance to the recipient's husband to minimize psychological .32127-1/fulltext) This era predated widespread , which only gained traction after 1988 FDA guidelines mandated freezing and quarantine to mitigate risks, leaving practices vulnerable to inconsistent screening limited to basic physical exams and medical histories without genetic testing.32127-1/fulltext) Regulatory oversight was minimal, with no federal standards governing donor insemination until the late ; decisions on donor selection, , and usage rested almost entirely with individual physicians or nascent private banks established in the early 1970s. Anonymity was the norm, protecting donors from legal paternity claims while shielding recipients from donor identities, though some protocols discouraged using the same donor for more than 10 pregnancies to avoid inadvertent —a guideline only about 17% of practitioners strictly followed by limiting repeat donors per recipient. State laws varied, but most deferred to medical discretion, enabling informal arrangements where donors remained untraceable and clinics operated without mandatory record-keeping or limits on total offspring per donor. Ethically, professional bodies like the American Medical Association offered no binding guidelines specific to AID until the mid-1980s, prioritizing infertility treatment efficacy over donor-recipient transparency or long-term offspring rights; deception via unconsented use of a physician's own sperm, while rare and not condoned, occurred in isolated cases amid this deference to doctors' authority, later deemed fraudulent breaches of trust rather than regulatory violations.31837-5/fulltext) Consent forms typically omitted donor details, focusing instead on spousal approval and waiver of donor rights, reflecting a cultural emphasis on family privacy over genetic disclosure.31837-5/fulltext) These norms fostered high success rates for practitioners—estimated at thousands of annual procedures nationwide—but sowed risks of undisclosed relatedness, only retrospectively scrutinized through DNA advancements.

Discovery and Investigations

Initial DNA-Based Revelations

In 2014, Jacoba Ballard, aware from childhood that she had been conceived through anonymous at Donald Cline's clinic, submitted a sample to and identified several half-siblings sharing the same donor, initially numbering eight by that year. Through cross-referencing DNA matches with public records and family trees, Ballard traced the common paternal lineage to Cline himself by 2016, prompting her to contact him directly. Cline initially responded evasively but, during a 2016 meeting at a restaurant with Ballard and two other newly identified siblings, admitted to using his own sperm for "maybe eight or 10" inseminations, citing biblical motivations such as emulating the "Good Samaritan" while expressing remorse. Ballard's findings spurred others to test; for instance, Heather Woock, who had taken an DNA test as a in late 2016, received Facebook messages from strangers claiming sibling connections in August 2017, leading her to confirm Cline as the biological father via shared DNA markers. These consumer genetic tests revealed unexpected clusters of half-siblings born from Cline's patients between 1972 and 1986, with matches indicating non-consensual use of his sperm far exceeding his admitted instances. By late 2016, local investigative reporting by Fox59, informed by Ballard's , publicized the pattern, accelerating sibling identifications and prompting state inquiries despite Cline's subsequent denials in official correspondence. The revelations highlighted limitations in pre-DNA-era fertility practices, where anonymous donation lacked genetic verification, allowing undetected relatedness; DNA databases exposed over 50 confirmed half-siblings by 2019, with estimates suggesting up to 90 or more based on patient records and ongoing matches. Cline's partial admission contrasted with his later claims of minimal involvement, underscoring inconsistencies verified through sibling testimonies and genetic data rather than relying solely on his statements.

Official Inquiries and Evidence Gathering

In response to complaints from biological offspring who identified Cline as their father through commercial DNA testing, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal investigation in 2016, focusing on potential obstruction of justice stemming from Cline's prior denials of involvement in unauthorized inseminations. The probe, handled by the grand jury division under deputy prosecutor Tim DeLaney, gathered evidence including DNA match results from at least eight children confirming shared paternity with Cline, communications in which he explicitly denied using his own sperm, and affidavits from affected individuals detailing their discoveries. This led to Cline's indictment on September 12, 2016, for two felony counts of obstruction of justice related to false statements made to investigators and a state agency in 2009 and 2014. The investigation revealed that Cline had admitted in a 2017 sworn to using his own sperm in approximately 50 inseminations between 1974 and 1987, though no charges were filed for the inseminations themselves due to statutes of limitations that had long expired. Prosecutors coordinated with affected families to compile genetic evidence, but limitations in forensic capabilities at the time—such as the absence of preserved medical samples for direct comparison—prevented broader evidentiary expansion beyond voluntary DNA submissions from offspring. Concurrently, the Indiana Medical Licensing Board, under the Professional Licensing Agency, opened a disciplinary inquiry into Cline's ethical violations following media reports and public complaints in 2016-2017. The board reviewed admissions of misconduct, patient testimonies, and DNA corroboration, determining that Cline's actions constituted unprofessional conduct warranting permanent revocation of privileges; he voluntarily surrendered his license on August 23, 2018, agreeing never to reapply in the state. No state-level or broader forensic of clinic records was conducted, as Cline's in 2009 had resulted in the dispersal or destruction of many potential physical records.

Criminal Charges and Outcomes

In September 2016, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office charged Donald Cline with two counts of Level 6 felony obstruction of justice after he lied to investigators from the Attorney General's Office, denying that he had ever used his own sperm for patient inseminations. The charges stemmed from statements Cline made during the official inquiry into complaints from biological offspring who had discovered his involvement through DNA testing. Cline, then 79 years old, pleaded guilty to both counts on December 14, 2017, in Marion Superior Court before Helen Marchal. He was sentenced to 365 days in jail for each count, but the terms were fully suspended, resulting in no actual incarceration. Cline was also fined $500 and placed on supervised , with the emphasizing that his deliberate deception warranted a permanent despite the lack of jail time. No criminal charges were filed against Cline for the inseminations themselves, which occurred between the 1970s and 1980s, as lacked specific statutes criminalizing at the time, and applicable statutes of limitations had long expired. Prosecutors, including Marion County deputy prosecutor Tim DeLaney, confirmed that obstruction was the only viable offense due to these legal constraints. In August 2018, the Medical Licensing Board revoked Cline's , though he had retired from practice in 2009 and allowed it to lapse prior to the revocation.

Civil Litigation and Settlements

Following revelations of Donald Cline's unauthorized use of his own sperm in inseminations, several biological offspring and their families initiated civil lawsuits against him and his practice, Indianapolis Infertility, Inc., primarily alleging medical malpractice for fraudulently deceiving patients about the source of the donor sperm. Three such cases, filed by donor-conceived children or their representatives, were resolved through out-of-court settlements, with Cline and his medical group collectively paying more than $1.3 million to the plaintiffs. These settlements, reached in the years following the public disclosure of Cline's actions, compensated claimants for emotional distress, loss of parental autonomy, and related harms, though individual payout amounts were not disclosed publicly. Additional civil claims have encountered significant barriers under Indiana law, including a two-year for medical malpractice suits, which typically begins at the time of injury or discovery but has been invoked to dismiss or delay cases where DNA evidence emerged decades later. For instance, in a 2025 appeal before the Court of Appeals, a sought to revive a claim against Cline, arguing the fraud's delayed revelation via warranted tolling the limitations period, though the outcome remains pending as of April 2025. No trials on the merits of the deception claims have proceeded to , with resolutions limited to the noted settlements amid these legal hurdles.

Ongoing Cases and Appeals (Post-2020)

In , a group of biological offspring filed civil suits against Cline, resulting in settlements totaling $1.35 million paid by Cline and his medical practice to resolve claims of and emotional distress related to the unauthorized use of his . These resolutions addressed cases from multiple plaintiffs, with at least 14 lawsuits reported as initiated by that year, though most appear to have concluded without further appeals. A notable ongoing civil action involves "Anonymous Child 1," an Indiana woman who discovered through consumer DNA testing in 2022 that Cline was her biological father, despite her parents not having sought donor insemination. She filed a medical malpractice claim against Cline, alleging deception and harm from his practices in the 1980s. The suit centers on whether the two-year statute of limitations for malpractice began when media reports of Cline's actions surfaced in 2019—triggering a duty to investigate—or only upon her personal DNA confirmation in 2022, as her family circumstances made earlier suspicion unreasonable. In July 2024, a lower dismissed the case, ruling that the had sufficient notice from 2019 reports to trigger the limitations period. The Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on April 17, 2025, with the contending prompt action post-DNA results and Cline's counsel arguing prior public knowledge imposed a diligence obligation. On May 20, 2025, the appeals court overturned the dismissal, remanding the case to the for further proceedings, determining that factual disputes over the discovery timing warranted trial rather than . As of late 2025, this malpractice suit remains active, highlighting challenges in applying statutes of limitations to fertility deception claims predating 's 2019 fertility fraud law, which does not apply retroactively. No active criminal appeals against Cline have been reported post-2020, following his 2017 guilty plea to obstruction of justice charges. Related privacy litigation, such as a 2022 suit by Cline offspring Lori Kennard against for disclosing her identity in the 2022 documentary Our Father, concluded in December 2024 with a $385,000 to the , but this targeted media entities rather than Cline directly.

Impacts on Individuals Involved

Experiences of Patients

Patients at Donald Cline's during the 1970s and 1980s typically presented with issues alongside their husbands and consented to procedures using sperm purportedly sourced from anonymous donors, such as medical residents or dental students, to align with physical and ethnic traits. Cline assured them of careful donor matching and ethical practices, but he substituted his own sperm in numerous cases without disclosure, leading to at least 50 confirmed biological offspring across dozens of patients. Most patients remained unaware of the substitution for decades until adult children initiated consumer DNA testing—such as through or —and identified clusters of half-siblings sharing Cline's genetic markers, prompting confrontations and media revelations starting around 2014. For example, Liz White underwent approximately 15 inseminations from 1981 to 1982 after Cline represented the procedures as standard donor inseminations; she learned of his actions in 2016 via local news coverage linking her daughter's DNA results to the scandal. Upon discovery, patients reported intense feelings of violation and , equating the non-consensual use of Cline's sperm to a profound ethical and bodily breach. White articulated this as "I was raped 15 times and didn’t even know it. There was no . He didn’t give me a choice," highlighting the retrospective horror of repeated procedures under . Other accounts described shattered trust in the medical profession, familial distress from upended paternity narratives, and akin to grief, compounded by the realization that Cline had fathered multiple children within their communities, raising risks of unintended among offspring. In response, affected patients collaborated with biological children to document the fraud's scope, pursue civil claims, and advocate for accountability, though Cline's 2017 guilty plea to two felony counts of obstruction of justice—stemming from initial denials to investigators—resulted in no incarceration, leaving many feeling denied full . Some patients bonded in support groups, sharing narratives of initial relief at successful pregnancies turning into enduring resentment toward Cline's deception.

Perspectives from Biological Offspring

Biological offspring of Donald Cline, numbering at least 94 as identified through DNA testing by 2022, have widely reported profound psychological distress upon discovering their origins, often describing a fundamental disruption to their sense of identity and family. Many learned of their donor conception status unexpectedly via ancestry sites like or , revealing clusters of half-siblings concentrated in the area, which amplified feelings of unease and inevitability about further revelations. Jacoba Ballard, who initiated the widespread discoveries in 2014 after her own DNA test matched her to multiple half-siblings, has articulated the ongoing emotional burden of notifying others, stating, "Every time I find a new sibling, it’s like I’m ruining their life," reflecting guilt intertwined with the compulsion to uncover truth. She and others formed a private Facebook group by around 2015, growing to at least 50 members by 2019, where they shared support amid shared trauma, analyzing physical resemblances and coping with the deception's scale. Ballard confronted Cline in person around 2015, experiencing his unrepentant demeanor—he admitted the inseminations but invoked Bible verses like Jeremiah 1:5 to justify them, offering no apology or paternal engagement, which she described as manipulative and exacerbating her existential dread about inherited traits. Other offspring echoed themes of betrayal and disorientation; Julie Harmon, one of the 94 identified siblings, reported that the revelation "just completely washes away your identity. You really have no idea who you are anymore," highlighting a pervasive loss of self amid the non-consensual origins. Heather Woock described and sadness upon learning from her parents' lies, coupled with repeated shocks from new sibling notifications, while Matt White expressed horror at Cline's actions and channeled it into advocacy for legislation. Some, like Kylene Gott, found silver linings in sibling bonds despite the violation, yet the consensus portrays Cline's secrecy as a profound ethical breach, with many rejecting contact and viewing his biblical rationalizations—such as likening his acts to a Good Samaritan—as evasive and self-serving. Long-term impacts include heightened health anxieties due to Cline's refusal to provide , as Ballard noted in 2021 attempts to contact him yielding no response, compounded by risks of inadvertent from the localized inseminations spanning 1972 to 1988. Offspring like Ballard have mentored others in donor-conceived communities, emphasizing the need for transparency laws, while expressing persistent dread of DNA matches: "I dread every new match that comes, but they just keep coming." These accounts underscore a collective shift from isolated narratives to a networked with Cline's unchecked , driving personal resilience alongside calls for beyond his 2017 misdemeanor convictions.

Genetic and Health Considerations

The biological offspring of Donald Cline, estimated at over 90 individuals identified via direct-to-consumer DNA testing such as and , share a common paternal , introducing specific genetic risks not typically associated with standard donor practices. This shared paternity, combined with diverse maternal lineages, maintains overall genetic variability but concentrates paternal alleles across the group, potentially amplifying the of any rare recessive traits originating from Cline. A primary concern is the heightened probability of consanguineous relationships among these half-siblings, who share approximately 25% of their DNA on average. Unaware of their connections, individuals in this cohort have reported close social proximities—such as attending the same schools, residing on the same streets, or participating in shared community activities—which elevate the risk of romantic pairings leading to reproduction. Offspring from half-sibling unions face an increased incidence of recessive genetic disorders due to elevated homozygosity for deleterious alleles, with risks comparable to those in uncle-niece pairings, where birth defect rates can exceed general population baselines by several fold. Beyond reproductive risks, the absence of verified paternal medical history complicates health management for Cline's biological children, as they cannot access comprehensive family genetic data for conditions like hereditary cancers or cardiovascular diseases. Fertility fraud cases, including Cline's, underscore how undisclosed donor origins limit proactive screening and counseling, potentially delaying diagnosis of heritable conditions. No population-level studies have yet documented elevated morbidity rates among this specific group, but the scale of undisclosed inseminations—spanning 1974 to 1987—raises questions about unmonitored paternal age effects on sperm quality, such as de novo mutations, though empirical data remains absent.

Legislative and Regulatory Responses

State-Level Legislation Triggered by the Case

The revelations surrounding Donald Cline's misuse of his own sperm in fertility treatments directly prompted Indiana to enact the first state-specific criminal statute addressing fertility fraud. On May 7, 2019, Governor Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 293 into law, effective July 1, 2019, classifying the knowing or intentional use of a physician's own genetic material or misrepresentation of reproductive material in assisted reproduction as a Level 6 felony, punishable by up to 2.5 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. The legislation also established civil remedies, enabling victims to pursue damages for emotional distress, medical expenses, and other harms without traditional statute of limitations barriers in certain cases. This measure arose from advocacy by Cline's biological offspring, including Matt White, who testified before the Indiana legislature highlighting the lack of prior recourse for such deceptions. While Indiana's law was uniquely tied to Cline's case, the ensuing national publicity contributed to broader state-level reforms addressing similar practices. For instance, heightened awareness from Cline's scandal influenced discussions in other legislatures, though direct causation is less explicit; enacted a related provision in 2019 treating undisclosed genetic material use as , but this stemmed primarily from a separate case involving Dr. Kim McMorries. By 2022, states like incorporated prohibitions into broader bills, criminalizing fraudulent assisted reproduction as a or depending on intent and harm. These developments reflect a response, with only a handful of states—primarily —explicitly crediting Cline's victims' lobbying for spurring dedicated statutes prior to widespread revelations.

National Debates on Fertility Fraud Laws

The revelation of Cline's use of his own sperm to inseminate dozens of patients without consent, exposed in 2017, catalyzed national discussions on the absence of specific federal prohibitions against in the United States. Prior to this, such misconduct often evaded criminal liability due to reliance on general statutes like fraud or battery, with statutes of limitations frequently expiring before discovery, as seen in Cline's case where he faced only obstruction charges in 2017 despite fathering at least 90 children. This gap prompted advocacy from affected families and organizations, highlighting how interstate operations of fertility clinics and delayed genetic revelations via consumer DNA testing underscored the need for uniform national standards beyond patchwork state laws. Federal legislative efforts emerged in response, with bills like the Protecting Families from Fertility Fraud Act (H.R. 451, introduced in 2023 by Rep. ) seeking to explicitly criminalize knowing misrepresentation of genetic material in assisted reproduction under federal wire and mail statutes, addressing jurisdictional hurdles in multi-state cases. Similarly, the Fighting Act (H.R. 3710, 2023) proposed penalties for false statements in reproductive procedures, aiming to close loopholes where state laws fail to cover non-physician or provide civil remedies without proving intent. Debates centered on balancing patient autonomy with clinic accountability, with proponents arguing that from Cline's scheme—revealing over 90 biological offspring—demonstrates causal risks of undisclosed and health issues, while critics, including some medical ethicists, cautioned against overregulation potentially deterring legitimate donations. Congressional analyses, such as the 2022 report, emphasized that while existing federal laws like 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) could apply to deceptive communications in fertility treatments, their generality leads to inconsistent enforcement, fueling calls for targeted statutes with extended discovery-based limitations periods. By 2023, at least 12 states had enacted fertility fraud-specific laws inspired by Cline, but national advocates noted persistent voids in federal oversight, particularly for mix-ups or anonymous donor fraud, with ongoing bills stalling amid concerns over retroactivity and proof burdens. These debates reflect broader tensions between reproductive privacy and truth-in-consent, with Cline's victims testifying before committees to underscore the psychological and genealogical harms of non-disclosure.

Media Portrayals and Public Reaction

Key Documentaries and Coverage

The Netflix documentary Our Father, directed by Lucie Jourdan and released on May 11, 2022, examines Donald Cline's secret insemination of patients with his own sperm, focusing on the discoveries made by biological offspring through at-home DNA tests in the 2010s. The 90-minute film features interviews with key figures, including Jacoba Ballard, who in 2014 identified over a dozen half-siblings via online DNA databases, prompting an investigation into Cline's practices from 1974 to 1987. It portrays Cline as a once-respected Indianapolis fertility specialist who deceived at least 50 patients, resulting in up to 94 known biological children as of 2022. The documentary emphasizes the emotional toll on victims and offspring, including risks of accidental incest among siblings, while critiquing lax regulations in fertility medicine at the time. Our Father drew widespread viewership and renewed scrutiny of but sparked controversy over ; in December , an federal jury awarded $385,000 to a biological whose full name and likeness were shown without consent, ruling for invasion of while rejecting and emotional distress claims against and producers. No other major feature-length documentaries on Cline have been produced, though the case has appeared in true-crime podcasts and episodes, such as those recapping the scandal's timeline and legal outcomes. Initial media coverage emerged in 2016 via an Star investigation by reporter Angela Ganote, which detailed a patient's 2014 DNA findings of multiple half-siblings and Cline's denial to authorities, leading to his felony obstruction of justice charges. National outlets amplified the story, with a September 2016 STAT News report confirming at least 50 inseminations using Cline's instead of promised anonymous donors. An 2018 New York Times feature highlighted over three dozen offspring seeking answers and accountability, underscoring ethical breaches in donor anonymity practices. Subsequent reporting by AP News and documented Cline's 2017 guilty plea and the broader implications for genetic privacy and risks.

Controversies in Media Handling

The Netflix documentary Our Father (2022), directed by Lucie Kirk Lyon and produced by Blumhouse Television, drew widespread attention to Donald Cline's but sparked controversies over its handling of sensitive personal information. Three women, in the film as biological offspring of Cline without their prior consent, sued Netflix and Blumhouse in federal court in July 2022, alleging invasion of and after the documentary publicly linked them to the scandal. One , a resident of , argued that the exposure exacerbated family disruptions and stemming from her unexpected genetic heritage. In a December 2024 trial in , a delivered a mixed , finding Netflix liable for invasion of regarding one plaintiff's identity disclosure but rejecting claims of emotional distress and other torts for the group. The ruling underscored ethical tensions in documentary filmmaking, where the pursuit of narrative impact via real identities clashed with protections for victims already navigating unintended familial revelations through consumer DNA testing. Legal experts noted the case as a for media in true-crime genres, emphasizing the need for explicit waivers or anonymization in stories involving non-public genetic data. Broader critiques of media coverage, including Our Father, highlighted selective focus on individual horror stories over systemic failures in fertility regulation, potentially limiting public discourse on preventive reforms. While initial reporting by outlets like in 2017 relied on verified DNA matches and affidavits to expose Cline's actions—prompting his 2017 misdemeanor convictions for lying to state investigators—some observers argued that national media delayed scrutiny of industry-wide vulnerabilities, such as lax donor verification protocols predating modern genetic tracking. This approach, prioritizing sensational victim testimonies, was seen by bioethicists as underemphasizing causal factors like historical medical in reproductive practices.

Personal Life

Family Dynamics

Donald Cline was married to Audrey Cline for over 60 years, during which they raised two children: son Doug and daughter Donna, the latter of whom worked as a nurse in Cline's . The couple resided in , and were active members of their local church, where they taught parenting classes based on the "Growing Kids God’s Way" curriculum, emphasizing biblical principles for child-rearing. Audrey Cline maintained that she had no knowledge of her husband's use of his own in inseminations, with Cline himself describing disclosure to her as tantamount to that would shatter their family. Following Cline's guilty plea to two felony counts of obstruction of justice—stemming from false statements to prosecutors about the scope of his actions—Audrey publicly defended him, asserting in a 2019 that the allegations were overstated and that he had not engaged in widespread misconduct. The couple's children echoed aspects of this support amid the scandal's fallout. Doug Cline confirmed that his father had privately admitted to using his own sperm in a limited number of inseminations—fewer than the dozens identified via DNA testing by biological offspring—but contested the higher figures and broader claims of deceit. Donna, who had professional ties to the clinic, aligned with the family's defense without publicly disputing the evidence against her father. This collective stance highlighted a family dynamic centered on loyalty and minimization of the controversy's severity, even as it contrasted with the documented impacts on patients and their descendants. The Clines adopted a low public profile thereafter, with Audrey, now in her 80s, avoiding media engagement.

Later Years and Reflections

Following his guilty plea on December 14, 2017, to two felony counts of obstruction of justice for lying to investigators about using his own sperm, Cline received a one-year , avoiding incarceration due to his age and the judge's assessment of his remorse. In a statement read during sentencing, Cline expressed regret for deceiving authorities and apologized to his family as well as "those who feel deceived," though he referenced only two specific women by name and did not address the broader scope of his actions or the dozens of biological children involved. Critics among the affected families contested the sincerity of this apology, noting its limited acknowledgment of harm. On August 24, 2018, Cline formally surrendered his medical license, effectively ending any possibility of practicing after his retirement in 2009. In the years since, he has maintained a low public profile in , where he continues to reside at age 86 as of 2025, with no further detailed explanations offered for his motives beyond earlier claims of intending to aid desperate patients. His former church in Zionsville, where he once served as an elder, reported that he privately admitted to unethical conduct upon learning of the allegations but received no formal after demonstrating remorse to church leaders. Cline has largely refrained from additional public reflections or engagement with his biological offspring, declining interviews for media projects such as the 2022 Netflix documentary Our Father and instead submitting a brief letter reiterating denial of the full extent of inseminations while expressing sorrow for resulting pain. Ongoing civil litigation, including a 2025 Indiana Court of Appeals case examining statutes of limitations for malpractice claims tied to his practices, underscores persistent legal repercussions without his direct involvement or commentary. This reticence contrasts with the profound identity disruptions reported by many donor-conceived individuals, who have formed support networks amid revelations facilitated by commercial DNA testing.

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