One girl alleged in a lawsuit that an Irvine physician smirked and laughed whereas opening a paper vest she was sporting to show and fondle her breasts.
One other girl stated within the lawsuit that the identical doctor stared at her uncovered chest and touched her breasts, saying that he was “feeling for [her] liver” and declaring that he was aroused throughout an examination.
These and a number of other different girls over time have complained about Dr. John Hoefs’ bodily exams — in on-line boards, to his places of work and to the California Medical Board — however he was allowed to proceed working till his current arrest, courtroom information and police reviews reviewed by The Occasions point out.
Fifteen girls filed a civil lawsuit this week alleging that Hoefs, 79, coerced them to show their breasts below the guise of authentic medical therapy and in a number of situations groped them whereas inspecting them for situations associated to their liver. The abuse, which attorneys for the ladies allege dates to 2006, continued till Hoefs was arrested this yr, in keeping with the lawsuit.
“Many of the female patients who were sexually abused by Hoefs were fighting for their lives against aggressive forms of liver cancer and hepatitis at the time they sought treatment …” the lawsuit states. “When, in return, Hoefs viciously violated that trust and confidence in order to sexually abuse these extremely vulnerable patients.”
The lawsuit, filed Monday, additionally names Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian and the Regents of the College of California system, which Hoefs was affiliated with throughout the time the abuse allegedly occurred.
Attorneys representing the ladies wrote within the lawsuit that UCI Medical Middle and Hoag “concealed numerous complaints lodged by female patients about Hoefs’ sexual abuse” and failed to stop the sexual abuse of “dozens of vulnerable female patients.”
“Hoag and the Regents knew and certainly should have known that Hoefs posed a risk of sexual abuse to patients … as early as 2017 when complaints of such abuse were made to the California Medical Board, as well as numerous complaints posted onto multiple public online forums,” the lawsuit states.
Representatives for Hoag and UCI Medical Middle couldn’t be reached for remark Friday. Hoag wrote in a press release to the Orange County Register that Hoefs was not its worker however leased workplace area in a constructing owned by Hoag.
“Upon learning of his arrest, Hoag’s medical staff immediately suspended his hospital privileges and Hoag suspended access to his leased space,” Hoag advised the newspaper.
Orange County prosecutors charged Hoefs this yr with 17 felony counts of sexual battery by fraud and three felony counts of sexual battery. He has pleaded not responsible to all prices and was launched from custody on a $500,000 bond, in keeping with Orange County Superior Courtroom information.
Hoefs’ legal professional, Kate Corrigan, declined to remark in regards to the allegations towards her shopper when reached on Friday, however stated she’s receiving discovery from prosecutors and is reviewing particulars of the case.
In a dialog in March with Irvine Police Det. Rebecca Steen, Hoefs denied touching sufferers’ breasts throughout exams.
“Hoefs told me he was extremely surprised by the allegations,” Steen wrote in a police report. “He also expressed frustration with the situation and said he has never harmed anyone.”
After Hoefs’ arrest earlier this yr, the California Medical Board suspended his medical license and prohibited him from having any contact with present, former or potential sufferers, in keeping with a suspension order. Nevertheless, the medical board permitted Hoefs to proceed working as medical director for Hepatiq Inc., a medical diagnostic software program company.
A girl who was in her 40s when she sought therapy from Hoefs in 2016 and 2017 stated he required her to take away all of her clothes from the waist up throughout exams and fondled her breasts with out sporting gloves, in keeping with the civil lawsuit. She grew to become suspicious after this occurred at a number of appointments and reported the conduct to the state medical board in October 2017.
It isn’t clear what motion, if any, the medical board took on the time. A consultant for the board didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
One other girl had proven Hoefs a photograph of a bruise she had in an effort to hunt his medical opinion throughout a go to to his workplace. He responded, in keeping with the lawsuit, that he “did not have time to look at photographs unless they were of her in a bikini.”
Irvine police started investigating the physician in October 2022 after they obtained a report from a lady who alleged Hoefs touched her breasts at practically each appointment she’d had with him over the course of two years, in keeping with a police report obtained by The Occasions.
Whereas listening to her coronary heart and lungs, Hoefs would allegedly “flick off her medical gown fully exposing her breasts for the remainder of the exam,” the police report states.
“She thought it was weird the first time he did it, but after the second time, she thought it must be part of the exam,” Officer Monica Williams wrote within the report.
However throughout an appointment in October 2022, the girl advised officers she grew to become uncomfortable when Hoefs requested her to maneuver nearer to him whereas discussing the outcomes of her examination and requested her about her life. He additionally talked about intercourse in colleges and transgender points, in keeping with the report.
Later, she posted on a Fb group for people with liver points asking if it was regular for his or her breasts to be touched throughout an examination. Members of the group stated that it wasn’t regular. The lady additionally advised Hoag Hospital in regards to the physician’s habits, in keeping with the police report.
On-line opinions, that are detailed within the police report, confirmed that a number of girls had made related complaints about Hoefs. One girl wrote on Yelp that the physician “grabbed my breasts during an exam and he told me I wasn’t going to live long enough to raise my then 2 year old son — my [s]on is now 28!”
