Sexual Assault Survivor Speaks Out About Alleged Abuse at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Facilities
Attorney Tyler H. Fox interviewed by Kerry Kavanaugh, investigative reporter from FOX-25 Investigates.
Attorney Tyler H. Fox recently sat down with FOX-25 Investigates’ Kerry Kavanaugh to discuss ongoing abuse claims and pending, filed lawsuits against Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). In the last year, numerous Boston-based news outlet have reported on incidents of alleged abuse occurring at MGH. One of those cases is currently being co-litigated by Justice Law Collaborative and Attorney Fox.
The claim filed by JLC and Tyler Fox’s client outlines deviant sexual acts and phony and medically unnecessary exams perpetrated by Damian Knighton, a medical assistant employed by MGH/Brigham when the client was at the facility to receive routine medical care.
Knighton was charged in January 2023 for sexually assaulting several patients at MGH/Brigham after telling the patients that they needed a prostate or rectal exam or needed to examine their genitals. Not only did the victims not require those exams, but none of them were within the purview or experience of a medical assistant. Perhaps most egregious is that none of the abuse would have been discovered by MGH/Brigham and the sexual abuse would have continued had not JLC and Tyler Fox’s client called the police.
In the spring of 2024, another brave survivor came forward accusing sexual assault at the hands of a different medical assistant, employed by MGH/Brigham’s Dermatology Department. The sexual assault occurred after MGH/Brigham was alerted of the prior assaults at its Back Bay Health Center and in this additional instance, the medical assistant also performed an unnecessary and unauthorized exam. The mounting assault and abuse allegations in the second case underscore the critical need for accountability and measurable actions to increase safety within medical institutions.
The relationship between healthcare providers and patients is sacrosanct. As patients pursue medical treatment and counsel, they are placed in a deeply vulnerable position physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because of this unique dynamic, predators have a direct path to exploit patients left alone in examination rooms and often in various states of undress.
A 2021 study done by the National Institute of Health revealed almost 5% of women and 2% of men have experienced sexual misconduct by healthcare professionals.
JLC and Fox are pursuing legal action against both the individual perpetrator (Knighton), MGH/Brigham Inc., the Massachusetts Physicians Organization Inc., and Dr. Mark Dickinson for failing to prevent the assault and for negligence in their hiring practices, supervision, and retention of the employee in question. The firm is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Further, JLC and Fox are encouraging the immediate implementation of proactive measures to prevent the possibility of future assaults, especially for minor patients or those with intellectual, physical, or language vulnerabilities.
Measures would include:
- Comprehensive training of all medical staff about patient boundaries and rights.
- A mandate that two (2) healthcare professionals be present for all sensitive exams, especially those requiring a patient to be in a state of undress or those procedures that require physical contact of sensitive areas.
JLC encourages any other victims or witnesses who have experienced similar incidents at MGH to contact our offices. We are dedicated to providing a voice for those injured and to advocate for safer, more accountable healthcare environments.