Three young women have filed a civil lawsuit in New York claiming a fertility specialist at a Brooklyn clinic sexually abused them during treatment, and that a nearby hospital failed to protect them. Their case highlights how abuse in medical settings can hide in plain sight and what options patients may have under New York civil law.
Reviewed by Abuse Justice Center · Updated 2026-11-04
In late October 2026, three former fertility patients filed a civil lawsuit in New York accusing a Brooklyn fertility specialist of sexually abusing them during exams. According to public reporting, the patients were between 18 and 23 years old when they sought help to become pregnant. They say what should have been intimate but strictly medical care instead became a pattern of sexualized contact carried out under the cover of treatment. The lawsuit describes repeated touching of their breasts and genitals that the women understood as part of the process at the time, but that they later learned served no valid medical purpose.
The complaint also focuses on the setting around the doctor. The patients are suing not just the individual provider, but also a Brooklyn fertility clinic and a Brooklyn hospital where the doctor previously worked. They argue that these institutions had the responsibility to keep patients safe, to monitor providers, and to respond quickly to any warning signs. The lawsuit states that the exams sometimes occurred without gloves and outside normal professional boundaries. Even though the doctor reportedly left the fertility clinic in May 2026, public records show the provider still holds a medical license in New York. This combination of allegations raises urgent questions about how abuse can hide in medical environments that many people assume are tightly regulated and safe.
Sexual abuse in medical settings can be difficult to spot in the moment, even for adults. Many patients feel vulnerable or embarrassed during intimate exams and may assume that anything a provider does is medically required. When a doctor uses medical language, a white coat, and the authority of a clinic or hospital around them, those signals can override a patient’s discomfort. This dynamic is especially strong in specialty care like fertility treatment, where patients may be desperate for help and willing to tolerate painful or confusing procedures in the hope of having a child.
The Brooklyn lawsuit highlights several red flags that can arise when medical boundaries are crossed. The plaintiffs say they were subjected to repeated internal and breast exams that they now understand were unrelated to the purpose of the visit. They report that the provider did not always use gloves and sometimes remained in the room alone with them without any chaperone or nurse. In many medical settings, chaperones are recommended for sensitive exams, not only to protect patients but also to protect providers from unfounded accusations. When a provider insists on closed doors, resists having a chaperone, or performs exams without clear explanations, those may be signs that something is wrong, even if the behavior is hidden behind clinical language and routines.
Many survivors are surprised to learn that civil lawsuits after sexual abuse in a clinic or hospital often involve claims against the institution itself, not only the individual provider. In New York, as in many states, patients can pursue civil claims that argue a hospital, clinic, or medical practice was negligent in hiring, supervising, or keeping a provider on staff. The Brooklyn fertility case is one example. The plaintiffs are telling the court that the Brooklyn fertility clinic and the Brooklyn hospital failed to take reasonable steps to keep them safe. They may argue that the institutions ignored or missed warning signs, did not create safe reporting channels, or allowed the provider to work closely with young patients without adequate oversight.
Civil claims like this usually do not require survivors to prove that the institution intended for the abuse to happen. Instead, they often focus on whether a reasonable medical institution, armed with the same information, would have taken different steps. This might include running thorough background checks, watching for patterns of complaints, enforcing chaperone policies, and removing providers from patient care when concerns arise. If a jury or judge decides that an institution failed these duties and that the failure contributed to the abuse, the clinic or hospital can be ordered to pay money damages. These damages can cover therapy, lost income, pain and suffering, and sometimes punitive damages meant to send a message that similar conduct will not be tolerated.
Filing deadlines for sexual abuse lawsuits are often called statutes of limitation. These laws set strict time limits on when a survivor can bring a case to court. New York has passed several laws in recent years that give some survivors of sexual abuse extra time, including special lookback windows that let people sue even when the normal deadline has run out. However, the details vary a lot based on how old the survivor was at the time, the nature of the abuse, and where it happened. Medical settings add another layer, since there may be medical malpractice rules and sexual abuse rules that overlap. The Brooklyn fertility lawsuit involves young adult patients, which may place their claims on a different timeline than child survivors.
Because these deadlines can change and sometimes get extended by the legislature, it is risky to assume that a general rule you read online applies to your situation. For example, New York has opened special windows in the past for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring old claims, and separate windows for adults abused in certain settings. Those windows have different opening and closing dates and may not be reopened. In addition, some deadlines start from the time a survivor connected their injuries to the abuse, rather than the exact date it happened, but that discovery concept can be heavily debated in court. Anyone who believes they were abused in a medical setting, whether recently or years ago, is usually better off talking with a lawyer in their state as soon as they feel ready, simply so they do not miss a deadline that a court will enforce strictly.
If you believe a doctor, nurse, therapist, or other medical professional crossed sexual boundaries, there are steps you can take even if you are not ready to file a lawsuit. First, try to write down everything you remember, including dates, locations, what you were told about the exam, and anyone else who was present. Contemporaneous notes can help anchor your memory later and can be important in both criminal and civil processes. If you still have patient portal messages, appointment reminders, or treatment plans, consider saving copies in a secure folder. These materials can help show that you were a patient and what the stated purpose of the visit was.
Survivors can also report concerns to professional regulators. In New York, doctors are licensed and overseen by state authorities that can investigate complaints and, in some cases, restrict or revoke a license. Filing a complaint with a licensing board does not replace criminal charges or civil claims, but it can trigger an independent review of the provider’s conduct. Some survivors choose to report to law enforcement, especially if the abuse is recent or there may be other patients at risk. Others focus on therapy or community support first and only consider formal action later. Whatever you choose, you do not have to go through it alone. Confidential advocates and, if you wish, legal counsel can walk through your options at a pace that feels safer for you.
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It may not be too late. In some states, including New York, lawmakers have opened or extended time windows for certain sexual abuse claims, including for adults in specific settings. The only way to know for sure is to ask a licensed attorney in your state about the deadlines for your situation. You can also report to licensing boards or seek counseling even if a civil claim is no longer possible.
It is normal not to know in the moment, especially during intimate exams. Signs that something may have crossed the line include exams that are not clearly explained, touching unrelated to the stated reason for the visit, lack of gloves during genital contact, and comments or behavior that feel sexual. A second opinion from another medical professional or a discussion with a lawyer or advocate can help you sort through what happened.
In many cases, yes, survivors may bring civil claims against the medical institution as well as the individual provider. These cases often argue that the clinic or hospital failed to screen, supervise, or respond appropriately to warning signs about the provider. Whether that applies in your situation will depend on the facts, including how much control the institution had over the provider and what it knew or should have known at the time.
You generally do not have to involve law enforcement in order to pursue a civil case. Civil and criminal systems are separate, and many survivors choose one path, the other, or both, depending on what feels safest and most meaningful for them. However, if you want a criminal investigation, timely reporting can be important, especially for collecting forensic evidence.
Useful evidence can include medical records, appointment histories, portal messages, billing statements, and any written complaints you made to the clinic or hospital. Notes you wrote at the time, names of staff who were present, and contact information for any other patients with similar experiences can also matter. An attorney can help request records and preserve evidence before it is altered or destroyed.
You can consider making a confidential report to the state medical licensing board, to the clinic or hospital where the provider works, and, if you feel comfortable, to law enforcement. Sharing specific details helps regulators and institutions assess whether urgent steps are needed. It is also completely valid to focus on your own healing first and seek support from advocates who can explore reporting options with you without pushing you into any decision.