Sexual assault suit dismissed for want of ‘outrage’

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A patient care technician’s lawsuit against her hospital was dismissed in Alabama federal court. She had been sexually assaulted by a patient in a room that had no “panic system” installed, as required by policy, but was allegedly ordered to immediately resume work after the attack. The court disagrees with the hospital’s argument that outrage is an “extremely limited” claim, but says the technician has not supported an inference that the conduct was “extreme and outrageous” such that “no reasonable person could be expected to endure it.” She has been on worker’s compensation leave for more than a year and receives ongoing mental health treatment due to the incident.