The doctor's actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. 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. Here's everything you need to know about the chilling true story that has the whole world shockedand what happened to Dr. Donald Cline. explained in the documentary. It turned out that Cline was her biological father, and she was the first of over 90 (and counting) people who discovered that they were also Cline's biological children. The documentary arrives to Netflix on May 11. "I feel like he's hiding something more sinister.". 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. Experts joined them in pointing out that Cline would have had to masturbate somewhere nearby while the women were waiting insemination, and he could have still been experiencing the after-effects of arousal during the appointment. Then DNA testing came on to the scene, and sites like 23andMe and Ancestry-dot-com revealed the unthinkable: Cline had beenwithout his patients knowledge and certainly without their consentinseminating his patients with his own sperm. 541, This story has been shared 470 times. He had placed the call to ask Ballard for help with damage control. When Will The 1923 Season Finale Premiere on Paramount+? By Gina Tron. Jacoba who felt she didn't belong in her family took a DNA test at the age of 33 in 2014. A judge suspended the former doctor's sentence, though Cline did pay a $500 fine and court costs, which totaled $185. Little is known about Donald Cline's wife Susie, but according to the film the couple had two children - Donna and . Phil in December 2019 that she was finally able to accept the truth. 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. The former fertility doctor secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children for. Meara is an associate editor on CNET's Culture team, where she covers movies, TV shows and viral online happenings. 436, This story has been shared 402 times. The siblings acknowledge that without hearing the truth from Cline, they only have theories. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Due to this fact, it preaches procreation and abstention from sterilization and contraception. The fertility fraud law makes it illegal for fertility doctors to use their own sperm without their patient's consent, and it allows the doctor's victims, their spouses, and their children to sue in civil court. Quiverfull is anultra-conservativeChristian movement mentioned in the film. 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. Its disgusting, said Ballard, now 43, in new Netflix documentary, Our Father, out May 11. Jacoba Ballard, from Indiana, discovered Dr Donald Cline was her father in 2014 . Again, there's nothing super concrete here to link Cline to Quiverfull. Cline's case did not go to trial, and in December 2017, he pleaded guilty. 2022-09-19 17:04:00 - Paris/France. Then DNA testing came along", "Biological children of fertility doctor and their mothers bond to fight", "Watch The Exclusive Trailer For 'Our Father,' Netflix's Latest True Crime Doc", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_Cline&oldid=1141633962, People convicted of obstruction of justice, Pages using infobox criminal with known for parameter, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Inseminating his own sperm into unwitting patients and fathering 94 doctor-conceived children, Decided; plea guilty, one-year suspended sentence, fine $500; petition for AMS filed and denied. This seems relevant to this article about the life of Don Cline. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. 470, This story has been shared 436 times. This was a person in a position of power, Fox 59 anchor Angela Ganote says. For Allison Kramer, 47, who also has health issues, it took a long time to accept that she and her twin sister were Clines children. Instead of destroying, you made me realize my self-worth, she says of the doctor in the film. 'Mandalorian' Season 3 Release Time, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of 'Today' After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Where Is Hoda Kotb? (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.) Dr. Donald Cline has been famous in the media as the fertility doctor who inseminated his sperm into several women without consent. 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. He also has connections to Quiverfull, a Christian movement that encourages having as many children as possible. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity. Sibling Matt White suggests in the film that someone must have known that Cline was inseminating women with his own sperm. He is prohibited from reinstatement by the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana. One of his former patients interviewed for the Atlantic story, Liz White, told the magazine the former doctor lives down the street over there. 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. Fertility doctor Donald Cline is believed to have fathered at least 94 children by using his own sperm, and is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary. 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. 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. If that. The documentary does point out that Cline was extremely religious, with numerous Christian sayings decorating his office, and is an elder in his church. Is this some sort of sexual thing? [10] Then Indiana attorney general Tim DeLaney declined to prosecute because "there was no law forbidding Clines conduct. As the siblings waited for authorities to take action, Cline lived as a pillar of the community and an elder of his church, performing baptisms in his backyard swimming pool. Fox59 anchor Angela Ganote investigated her story. More than 50 U.S. fertility doctors are accused of fraud related to sperm donation. Parents who desperately wanted. 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. Where is Donald Cline? As a result, he fathered at least 50 children in the 70s and 80s. However, per audio of a recorded police interview with Cline in the doc, he claimed, All of the inseminations that I did with my sample, and again it was sparingly, had a healthy baby.. Ad Choices, Our Father: The True Story Behind the Netflix Documentary Everyone Cant Stop Talking About. 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. They had hoped an investigation into his medical practices would yield sufficient evidence to bring charges of rape. At the time, Indiana law didn't specifically prohibit fertility doctors from using their own sperm. The documentary states that Cline was married at the time of practising medicine. [a] Her genetic genealogy research ultimately revealed Cline, her mother's fertility doctor, as her biological father. The film, which features interviews with the parents and their children, as well as others close to the situation, chronicles the siblings path to uncovering the truth of their biological parentage, and spotlights their fury and resolve as they failed to see Cline answer for his crimes in court. Unfortunately, yes. Theyre worried that their children are getting old enough to date soon. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. D uring 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. The Quiverfull motion is a Christian-based philosophy held by some {couples} who take into account massive households blessings from God. "[13], Ganote told DeLaney that Cline was lying to them. The horrifying documentary focuses on Donald Cline, a fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm to inseminate dozens of patients in Indianapolis in the '70s and '80s and how his actions upended the lives of his biological children. One sibling sold another a wagon at a garage sale. 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. I mean, here she was, this young woman just wanting to have a family like anyone else., In the film, Liz says when she learned that her son shared Clines DNA she felt like I was raped 15 times and I didnt even know it.. The results can be truly horrific. Each time she saw a new connection appear on her profile, shed steel herself before reaching out to deliver the news. Photo: Netflix. And I will fight for every sibling that I have that I know, that I dont know, and for every woman you assaulted. Cline worked as a fertility doctor in Indianapolis for 38 years before retiring in 2009. Though hes played by an actor, Keith Boyle, in the movie, he refused to participate in the film. 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. 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In 2017, after it was proven that Cline fathered Ballard, the doctor pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice for previously lying to officials about artificially inseminating patients with his own specimen. Our Father includes interviews with eight of the 94 siblings. 215 became effective July 1, 2019. 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). Jacoba Ballard is Our Father's protagonist, as the documentary traces her initial discovery, at 35-years-old, that she had seven half-siblings by taking a DNA test. 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. It tells the story of an Indianapolis fertility doctor who inseminated patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge. "No consent. 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. In 2017, Cline pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice, admitting he'd inseminated his patients without their consent or knowledge, Newsweek reports. The Children Want Justice", "Fertility fraud: Iowa law criminalizes reproductive material deceit", "The U.S. Is Experiencing An Explosion Of Fertility Fraud Legislation. Quinci LeGardye is a Contributing Culture Editor who covers TV, movies, Korean entertainment, books, and pop culture. The streaming platform Netflix premieres on May 11 documentary film "Our Father", Did Dr. Cline face consequences, and where is he now? In 2019, Indiana passed a state law (opens in new tab) in response to Cline's actions, with several of his victims and biological children helping push it through. It's no easy task. His shoe size averages 10 (U.S) and 9 (U.K). Nearly all of the half siblings, including Ballard, are afflicted with chorionic autoimmune diseases. Matt White, one of the children fathered using Cline's sperm, helped to get the bill passed. Hes got autoimmune disease, said Jason Hyatt, one of the disgraced doctors biological children. When she isnt writing or checking Twitter, shes probably watching the latest K-drama or giving a concert performance in her car. But where is he now? Despite the victims' and children's ongoing calls for justice, Cline was never charged with rape. The Medical Licensing Board of Indiana revoked his license in 2018. The caption on the tweet pretty much nailed it. In the documentary, Ballard recounts a meeting between Cline and some of the siblings, where Cline apparently explained that he only used his own sperm to help mothers who he thought were desperate for a child, according to Ballard. 'Perfect Match' Turned Him Into a SUPER Villain, Hasan Minhaj Destroys 'Dilbert' Cartoonist Scott Adams on 'The Daily Show', Alex Murdaugh Trial So Far: The 9 Most Shocking Takeaways, Amanda Batula Explains Her Weight Loss on Summer House, Nicolle Wallace Takes Over Hosting 'The Beat' After Ari Melbers Surprise Absence, Where to Watch 'South Park' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Episode, Meghan McCain Calls Out Former 'View' Coworker Joy Behar for Her "Evil" East Palestine Comments. "Um, my wife and I, uh, after 57 years of marriage, um, we have had a great deal of problems over this. 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. 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. Jacoba Ballard in Our Father. 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. Ballard's half sibling Heather Woock, 36, learned that Cline was her father at the same time she learned she was donor-conceived in 2017. Lucie Jourdan makes her directorial documentary debut with the film, which comes from Netflix and Blumhouse Pictures. 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. There is no federal law against it. Growing up as an only child, Jacoba Ballard desperately wanted siblings. "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. He also has a chest-to-waist and bicep ratio of 40-36-15. In 2017, he was brought to trial facing two counts of felony obstruction of justice, for lying during the investigation. We educated Indianas legislators, got our bill passed, and not going to stop.. It sounds almost too twisted to be real, but unfortunately, Our Father is an investigative documentary, and Dr. Donald Cline is a real man. Following his felony conviction in 2018, Cline surrendered his medical license. Here are answers to the major questions I had after watching Our Father. Still, for three decades, Cline helped hundreds of parents who had problems conceiving get pregnant. ", Ballard, a former paramedic, says, "We need donor conception laws and laws defining clear definitions of consent in every state in regard to sexual assault and rape.". Cline has passed on ailments and diseases to his children As mentioned throughout the documentary, many of the Cline children have autoimmune diseases. She considers this adultery. It teases the story of Dr. Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who used his own sperm in donations which resulted in his fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and '80s. There is a high presence of auto-immune disorders among Cline's donor-fathered children. Cline pled guilty, and received two suspended sentences (meaning he served no jail time), and a $500 fine. "Because someone is in a position of power or authority, [it] doesn't always make them completely trustworthy," she says. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. But former friend and colleague Mark. Our Father tells the story of a violation so apparently novel that until the siblings and parents affected by Clines crimes brought their case to court and lobbied for protections, there was no law prohibiting his actions. 402, This story has been shared 384 times. The horrifying documentary focuses on Donald Cline, a fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm to inseminate dozens of patients in Indianapolis in the ' 70s and '80s and how his. He told his patients that the sperm donors were anonymous medical residents, and that no single donors sperm was used more than three times. Netflix's new true crime documentary "Our Father" will introduce the world to an . I wasnt., I was raped 15 times and didnt even know it, former Cline patient Liz White says during her interview, a wrenching counterpoint. He has brown eyes, white skin, grey hair, and a grey beard. Donald Lee Cline (born December 10 . It sounds almost too twisted to be real, but unfortunately, Our Father is an investigative documentary, and Dr. Donald Cline is a real man. 779, This story has been shared 541 times. Donald Cline Career, Our Father Documentary Netflix & TV Shows. 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