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Patient Claims ER Nurse Molested Her

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - A male nurse sexually assaulted a hospital patient while she "lay unconscious and fully exposed in a fetal position," the woman claims in court.

Jane Doe sued Washington Township Healthcare District, Washington Hospital and Jon Quianzon in Federal Court.

Doe claims that two previous patients had told the hospital that Quianzon sexually assaulted them, but the hospital reported neither attack to police and let Quianzon "continue treating female patients without any supervision."

Doe says in her complaint that she was taken to Washington Hospital's Emergency Department on June 10, 2012, "for extreme alcohol intoxication."

She says she was "lethargic, noncommunicative and rousable only through pain stimulus."

She was placed on a gurney in a hallway due to overcrowding.

"She remained in the hallway, with an altered state of consciousness, was lethargic and non-communicative," the complaint states. "At approximately 0400 hours plaintiff was moved from the hallway to the 'clinic' area of the Emergency Room, which is located to the rear of the main nursing station. Plaintiff was specifically placed into Exam Area #13, which was assigned to defendant Quianzon.

"Defendant Quianzon entered Exam Area #13 after plaintiff was placed in the room, checked to see if she was responsive to verbal commands and after determining that plaintiff was in fact unconscious, closed the curtain around her and pulled her sweat pants down to expose her buttocks. Defendant Quianzon proceeded to walk over to the lotion dispenser and put lotion on his hands. Quianzon then put lotion on plaintiff's buttocks and anus. As Jane Doe lay unconscious and fully exposed in a fetal position with her knees bent towards her chest, Quianzon sexually assaulted her.

"The sexual assault against plaintiff by defendant Quianzon continued until the attending emergency room physician entered the curtain area, thereby stopping the further assault on plaintiff," the complaint states.

Doe claims Quianzon sexually assaulted a patient in October 2009. "Victim 1" was brought to the ER with severe back pain kidney stones, according to the complaint.

"Defendant Quianzon administered pain medication to Victim 1, rendering her sleepy," the complaint states. "Defendant Quianzon returned to Victim 1's room after she had fallen asleep and proceeded to place his hand under the bed sheet, slide his hand inside Victim 1's left thigh, moving his hand inside her underwear and placed his finger in her vagina. Victim 1 awoke and defendant Quianzon then grabbed her hand and placed it on his erect penis. Victim 1 reported the sexual assault to defendant hospital.

"Defendant hospital reportedly investigated the complaint in-house, never reported the assault to the police, and found Victim 1's allegations to be unfounded. No disciplinary action was taken, no reporting was made to any authorities, and defendant Quianzon was allowed to continue treating female patients without any supervision.

"On a separate occasion, defendant Quianzon fondled the breasts of another patient ('Victim 2') while he was removing her cardiac leads. Plaintiff is informed and believes that Victim 2 notified defendant hospital about this incident. Again, no disciplinary action was taken, no reporting was made to any authorities, and defendant Quianzon was allowed to continue treating female patients without any supervision."

Doe claims the hospital "had a mandatory duty to immediately notify law enforcement of defendant Quianzon's prior sexual assaults on Victim 1 and Victim 2 under California's mandatory reporting laws."

She seeks compensatory and punitive damages for battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and civil rights violations.

She is represented by Jason Runckel with O'Connor, Runckel & O'Malley, of Walnut Creek.

Quianzon pleaded not guilty in August 2012 to four counts of sexual battery and one count of sodomy, a state prosecutor told the Oakland Tribune. He was released on $135,000 bail and no longer works at the hospital, the Tribune reported.

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