Triplets Separated At Birth For An Experiment Are Now Suing

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Triplets Separated At Birth Are Now Suing For The Weird Experiment

Back in 1961, triplet brothers–Robert Shafran, Eddy Gallan and David Kellman–were separated at birth and adopted by three different families. This was done as part of a controversial experiment, and now they’re seeking compensation and an apology from the organization they claim conducted the whole thing.

All three of the brothers were monitored for a legal study by Dr. Peter Neubauer, a psychoanalyst with the Manhattan Child Development Center —today  known as The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, according to reports from The Independent. The study sought to answer the “nature or nurture” question, and hoped to determine if the triplets ultimately became who they now are because of the different environments they grew up in.

In 1980, Shafran enrolled in Upstate New York’s Sullivan County Community College and was met with a warm reception by people who mistook him for his brother, Gallan. One friend, Domnitz asked Shafran if he was adopted and if he shared the same birthday as his friend. Sharfran said that he did, affirming Domnitz’s suspicions, which lead to a 19-year-long overdue reunion.

After the three were reunited, they discovered why they were separated at birth and learned they were placed in homes of varying economic levels and were periodically evaluated by the Development Center’s research team over the course of their upbringings. Sadly, Gallan took his own life in 1994 but Shafran and Kellman are currently seeking an apology and legal compensation from The Jewish Board. They also want the documents from the study to be released.

A spokeswoman from the Board told The Washington Post, “The Jewish Board does not endorse the study undertaken by Dr. Peter Neubauer, and is appreciative that the film has created an opportunity for a public discourse about it.”