Hospital Settles Lawsuit By Thousands Of Women Over Exam Photos

The Johns Hopkins Health System will pay $190 million to former patients of a gynecologist who used a small camera to secretly film examinations, in one of the largest sexual misconduct settlements involving a physician.

The Baltimore-based hospital is settling a class-action lawsuit that includes more than 7,000 women and at least 62 minors; more women will likely register with the suit.

From member station WYPR, Christopher Connelly reports:

"Dr. Nikita Levy saw more than 12,000 patients over the decades he spent working at Hopkins. But in February of 2013, Levy was fired after a fellow employee reported suspicions he was taping patient examinations. He committed suicide 10 days later. "Investigators ultimately recovered more than a thousand secret videos and hundreds of photographs of patients."

The Baltimore Sun has this quote from the plaintiffs' lead attorneys:

"When learning of Dr. Levy's behavior, our clients were extremely distraught. They felt a great breach of faith and trust. They felt betrayed. Now, with this proposed settlement, we can begin the process of healing our community."

The hospital's administrators issued a statement acknowledging the settlement and saying that the money for the settlement will come from insurance.

"It is our hope that this settlement—and findings by law enforcement that images were not shared—helps those affected achieve a measure of closure," the statement reads.