In 2018, when the U.S. Olympic gymnasts testified against their perpetrator, I was re-traumatized. But also in absolute AWE that these young women knew it wasn’t their fault. They weren’t ashamed. Or embarassed. They were powerful. And scared. Let’s be clear. Nasser was the adult. The Doctor. They were just kids he betrayed and gaslighted.
I went online. I found that other women from my Long Island neighborhood, Birch School, Lakeside, Merrick Ave JHS, Seaford, JFKennedy Bellmore, Mepham, Calhoun and other Long Island schools, were on social media asking if there were others Copperman hurt too.
Our childhoods taken. Innocence Lost is what Dateline NBC called it.
This is the story of a four decades long pedophilia spree by a pediatrician, the privileged life he lived, protected by community leaders, and how over 100 women pursued justice. In 2024, over a billion dollars in court awards validate our childhood nightmare experiences. It’s hollow though, because we knew we’d never collect a penny, and really he should be in prison. Read on, and you’ll see where society and the law need to catch up to realities.
“It’s not that there weren’t timely complaints in the 1970s, 80s, 90s.
There were. Plenty of them.”
1984: Criminal complaints were filed.
Nassau county policemen interviewed the doctor and dismissed the girls.
More complaints were lodged.
NY State Department of Health held court hearings, with an administrative law judge and a panel of one priest and two doctors, colleagues of Copperman deciding the case. Several young girls and their mothers were called in to tell the panel what had transpired.
Copperman was lawyered-up with high profile criminal defense lawyers.
The young girls were cross examined for two solid days.
Lynne Tanzmann, Jeanna Limmer and Debra Geller…Thank you.
Read their story published in 2001 at left.
Copperman’s lawyers convinced 2 of the 3 on the medical board panel that he was an upstanding doctor in this small South Shore town and that he should be believed over young girls and their mothers.
Copperman: “I‘ve always lived my life so that someone could never say something bad about it.” Who says something like that? Someone covering his tracks.
He always had those diplomas, those ‘commendations’ from politicians, and his articles and Synagogue awards prominently displayed.
They were…intimidating
He pushed his name out there. He wrote for JAMA about how he separated mothers from their children so he could have those “Sex (of course)” conversations with…pre-teens and teens. That’s when they were most vulnerable, and he could gaslight them, groom them, teach them orgasm by manually rubbing them, guised as a “vaginal cleaning.” My mother rarely came in to the office with me, so it didn’t much matter in my case. He told me he’d keep the secret that I was “dirty down there” because my mom would be embarassed.
The Year 2000
After two decades of complaints, The State Board of Professional Medical Ethics for New York State held a second round of court hearings.
This time, the panel unanimously recommended revoking the medical license of Dr. Stuart Copperman, pediatrician, of Merrick, New York.
The Judge’s Order presented graphic descriptions of sexual abuse of children, and said…
“Only recovation of his license to practice medicine will ensure protection for the public.”
Copperman's 2011 published submission to Wordsmith's Haiku contest.
Was it his 'tell'?
2021
The NY Child Victims Act — The next chapter. We hope to protect children today, because we were not protected. In 2021, 119 women filed lawsuits against Stuart Copperman during the one-year ‘catchup’ window that opened to make up for the unfairness of prior statutes of limitations.
Attorney Kristen Gibbons-Feden took our cases without retainer. She felt it was the “right thing to do” as a woman, attorney, and former criminal prosecutor of sex crimes. Other law firms advertising representation under the Child Victims Act refused us because there were no “deep pockets” and Copperman has had 20 years to hide assets. We hold Kristen in the highest regard and highly recommend her.
Hundreds more women reached out. Many were unwilling or unable to sue. Some had died before they ever were able to see any justice. Others were trying to deal with the trauma. Many had strained relationships with parents, due to this, and couldn’t proceed. So many were justifiably hesitant to release medical records.
Dina Ribaudo: “He was a horrible predator in a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, who, if I had a paper cut, would sexually assault me and call it medically necessary. The mere thought of him triggers emotional trauma and fear for the safety of my young daughter. Still, I am proud to join the other survivors in seeking justice and look forward to testifying at a jury trial.” Francine Iacona: “Looking back, he was always charming to my mother, but he terrified me and he robbed me of my youth. I can never recover what was lost, but I can and will share my story under oath in hopes that what we are doing will result in justice and permanent change to protect the young and the innocent.”
Debra Zuckerwise: “My life has been a horror; an endless nightmare because of Copperman,” said Debra Zuckerwise. “I cry every time I think about it. I was only a little girl and, I’m sad to say, many of our own mothers thought we were telling a story. I finally have some hope that the whole truth will be told in court and he’ll be held to account.”
Lynn Barnett Seigerman: “I want him to have to experience the shame that he made me feel. I want him to have to face us in court and not be able to manipulate us. Above all, I want justice.”
Dana Marcus: “Copperman told me, when I was a pre-teen, that I was ‘dirty down there’, but not to worry because he could ‘clean’ me and wouldn’t tell my mother. At the time, I felt ashamed, and it hurt, but I was also thankful for his ‘keeping it our secret’ because I was so embarrassed. If you feel queasy hearing that, imagine how I felt as an adult realizing I had been ‘groomed’ by a pedophile.”
Living the high life. Two country club estates. World travel. Society pages. Sound a bit like Epstein?
image is directly embedded from Alan Copperman’s public facebook profile – not reproduced or copied, and attributed to Alan Copperman.
Here’s a photo from a public page, taken at the same time the pedophile pediatrician was “grooming” his pre-pubescent patients, in his basement medical office at his and Renee’s house on Hewlett Drive, in Merrick N.Y.
He is pictured here with his (still) Wife, Renee, and three children (whom many of us were classmates of – making the whole situation just terrifying to us) – Alan, Beth, and Cara.
directly embedded from Alan Copperman’s public facebook profile
2023
New York State Courts entered Judgment against Mr. Stuart Copperman, formerly “Dr.” Copperman.
2024
Make no mistake, none of the women whose lives were damaged by Copperman holds the grown children for the sins of their father in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90’s or 2000. No one is alleging they knew, as children, what their father was doing in their basement.
However, his children now in their 50’s and 60’s are steadfastly, publicly supportive of their pedophile father.
We have been contacted by his family friends, and even a relative of his, who are still afraid to be public with what they experienced or knew.
Several of the women who were sexually molested and “gaslighted” by their PEDIATRICIAN when they were children, tried to reach out to J.F. Kennedy Bellmore High School alums through the alumni network, in an effort to provide emotional support and shared healing.
One of Copperman’s children complained to the alumni association and requested that we be blocked from posting. It took legal maneuvering to get that objection overruled, although the alumni network did not allow comments on our post, presumably in deference to Copperman’s children’s request.
Legal hearings in 1986, and 1999, resulting in court ruling against their father and revocation of his license to practice medicine, did not make a dent in the Copperman children’s staunch public support of their father.
Dr. Alan Copperman publicly shares photos of their families traveling and enjoying high living with their father. Cara Copperman Stevens earns her living publishing children’s media and published a “Parenting” article commending her parents.
All three have very public roles, leadership or sponsorship positions with a NYC nonprofit called @awarenyc Aware NYC which talks a big game about helping young women in NYC and protecting children from…trafficking. Irony? Alan Copperman’s IVF firm sponsored a high profile, “society” fundraiser event for them with his wife Kira, who is leadership at Aware NYC.
We can suggest several hundred women you could help.
As mature, educated, intelligent adults, with careers, whose photos are in society pages as they “talk” about IVF, helping children, and raising healthy children in books and blogs that generate income for them….. we point out the irony is there. Not unusual as a family dynamic with an abuser. We implore them to find their moral compass, and be grateful he didn’t do this to your young children (and we hope he did not). Walk your talk.