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Woman Accuses Doctor of Battery & Abuse

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CN) - A doctor forced a patient to have sex with another female patient in front of him, and "asked to photograph [her] while she performed sexual acts," the woman says. She claims that Dr. Kenneth A. Spaulding "demanded that she perform sexual acts in return for her discharge from the facility," and though she refused, she was not discharged "until Dr. Spaulding again groped [her], touching private areas of her body."

The plaintiff, P.C., sued Dr. Spaulding, Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital, and Universal Health Services in Jackson County Court.

P.C. claims Spaulding took advantage of her fragile emotional state by his lewd demands. She says she was admitted to Two Rivers Psychiatric Hospital for post-traumatic stress disorder from being sexually abused as a child.

She adds: "From Nov. 1, 1989 through Nov. 1, 1996, Dr. Spaulding had been placed on probation by the Missouri Division of Professional Registration for abusing drugs and alcohol." She says his medical license was suspended for 2 weeks in 1994 for violating his probation, and then was placed on probation for another 10 years. "Dr. Spaulding had originally been trained as a surgeon, but his drug and alcohol issues stripped him of his ability to perform surgery due to the threat he posed to his patients," according to the complaint. "After relinquishing his surgical practice, Dr. Spaulding began to practice psychiatry."

She adds: "Two Rivers hired and/or contracted with Dr. Spaulding with full knowledge of his drug and alcohol issues and the suspension of his license. While he was still on probation, Two Rives not only hired and/or contracted with Dr. Spaulding but put him in charge of their Trauma Department that was entrusted with the care of their most fragile patients. This Trauma Department specialized in treating patients with sexual trauma."

P.C. claims that "during his medical treatment of [her], Dr. Spaulding made unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances toward her, which included lewd comments about private areas of her body.

"During [P.C.'s] hospitalization, Dr. Spaulding arranged a meeting with [her] and another female patient in his on-site private office. During this session, Dr. Spaulding ordered [P.C.] to perform sexual acts with the other patient. Dr. Spaulding also asked to photograph [P.C.] while she performed sexual acts."

P.C. says that when she became "upset and complained to hospital staff" about the sexual abuse, unknown staff members informed Spaulding of her complaints. "In response," she says, "Dr. Spaulding then ordered that [she] be administered an injection of an unknown medication, causing severe sedation ... [P.C.] has no memory of what transpired for at least one full day after this intravenous medication was administered."

She seeks punitive damages for negligence, medical negligence, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is represented by Scott Bethune with Davis, Bethune & Jones.

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