( CNN ) -- Imagine the following scenario . A woman and her husband underwent infertility treatment in the early 1990s . Now they learn their daughter , contrary to what they thought , is not the man 's biological child . Instead , her biological father is a former medical technician responsible for preparing sperm samples . That 's the situation facing a family that received treatment at the University of Utah Community Laboratory and Reproductive Medical Technologies Inc. , known as RMTI . The university says it 's investigating the case . It has put together a panel of physicians and retained an independent medical ethicist . The university is also offering paternity testing to families that may be affected , and set up a hot line for patients with questions . `` We sympathize with the anxiety this family has experienced . We do not know how this occurred and are carefully reviewing the concerns raised , '' the University of Utah Health Care said . A widow speaks . Tom Lippert is suspected of switching a patient 's sperm with his own . His widow , Jean Lippert , spoke to CNN affiliate KUTV , describing her husband as troubled . He was employed by both the University of Utah Community Laboratory and RMTI , which became defunct in 1998 . The laboratories were separate entities but shared oversight and staff . Lippert had a criminal record and a spotty record at work . Some documents discovered so far suggest he deserved a raise , while others said that more oversight was needed both of him and the laboratories , according to the university . Jean Lippert told KUTV that she and her husband never had children of their own , but that her husband told her he had them . Tom Lippert was `` proud of the fact he had these kids out there , '' she said . The couple was married for 20 years before Tom Lippert died from cirrhosis of the liver , KUTV reported . He was 49 . `` It seemed like he ( Tom ) was trying to be a decent person , '' his widow told the affiliate , adding that `` good Tom '' did n't stick around for long . `` If I would have left he would have killed me . He threatened my life every day , '' Jean Lippert reportedly said . `` I did n't stay out of the goodness of my heart . '' Sperm smuggling alleged at prison . 'What we can answer , we will ' The university has been careful to stress that today 's policies and protocols are different from those in place in those two labs , given industry standards in the 1980s and early 1990s . `` This is a shocking story to all of us , '' said Sean Mulvihill , chief executive officer of the University of Utah Medical Group , reported CNN affiliate KTVX . He reportedly estimated that Lippert may have interacted with 1,000 families ; 15 have called the hot line to date . `` The events in question occurred more than 20 years ago and records from that time are incomplete . That challenge notwithstanding , we are committed to reaching a fuller understanding of what happened then and to providing our patients with relevant information in an expeditious and compassionate manner , '' the university said . It continued : `` While there are inherent challenges -- the passage of time , the fact that RMTI has been defunct since 1998 , and the deaths of Mr. Lippert and RMTI 's principal , Dr. Ron Urry -- what we can answer , we will . '' After struggling to have children , couple 'pissed ' to be pregnant with twins .
A woman and her husband underwent infertility treatment in the early 1990s . The couple had two children before they were diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Wilson's disease. `` What we can answer , we will , '' says the University of Utah .