Sexual abuse by doctors is a betrayal of trust, and California survivors can seek compensation from physicians and hospitals. It covers warning signs, major cases, reporting barriers, and legal steps after sexual assault by medical professionals.
By Brad Nakase, Attorney
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You go to a clinic to get better, not to be preyed on. When a doctor crosses that line, it’s a total betrayal. Whether it’s “creepy” comments that make your skin crawl or physical touching that clearly isn’t medical, it’s flat-out abuse. If this happened to you, you aren’t stuck. You can fight back. Hiring a lawyer in California isn’t just a legal move. It’s a way to reclaim your power and demand the compensation you’re owed.
It’s not always as obvious as a physical assault. It can be subtle, and doctors are experts at making you doubt your own gut feeling.
Dealing with a medical board or an insurance company on your own is a nightmare. They are built to protect the doctor, not you. A lawyer acts as your bodyguard in the legal world. They take over the phone calls, the evidence gathering, & the awkward depositions so you don’t have to face your abuser alone.
It’s emotionally exhausting, and nobody expects you to have all the answers right now. A good attorney is there to handle the “legal” side of the trauma so you can actually breathe again.
Also Read: Sexual Harassment Training Requirements California: Employer Obligations, Content, and Compliance
Let’s stop the “medical” talk for a second and just be real: predators love a white coat because it gives them a free pass to touch people. They hide behind a medical degree to do things that would get them arrested in a bar or on the street.
You aren’t overreacting if you left a doctor’s office feeling like you needed a shower. You were probably being tested.
It’s not a movie-style attack. It’s subtle and quiet. It’s designed to make you feel like the weird one if you speak up.
The system is rigged to protect them. They have the “Dr.” title, the fancy office, and the expensive lawyers. They count on you thinking, “Well, he’s a surgeon, surely he knows what he’s doing.” He doesn’t. If it felt wrong, it was wrong.
When you hire a lawyer, you’re basically bringing a sledgehammer to that “doctor-patient” pedestal. A lawyer doesn’t care about their degree or their reputation; they care about the fact that a professional violated a defenseless person.
Larry Nassar wasn’t just a “bad doctor.” He was a predator who turned “medical treatment” into a high-level gaslighting operation. For decades, he convinced world-class gymnasts that his “pelvic floor treatments” for hip injuries were legitimate science. Because he was the “top guy” in the field, these young women—some of the toughest athletes on the planet—were led to believe that the “icky” feeling they had during his exams was just part of the price of being a champion.
When the dam finally broke, it resulted in one of the most powerful moments in legal history. More than 150 survivors walked into a courtroom and spent seven days tearing down the “doctor” persona he had built. The judge didn’t just sentence him; she buried him, handing down a 175-year term with the parting words: “I just signed your death warrant.” It took 150 survivors to finally define for the world “What is inappropriate touching by a doctor?
It Wasn’t Just Him—It Was the System
The most sickening part of the Nassar story is how many people “knew” and did nothing. This is why the financial settlements were so staggering. They were designed to punish the institutions that stayed silent.
Why This Case Matters for Everyone Else
The Nassar case proved that “Because I’m the doctor” is not a valid legal defense for sexual assault. It showed that when a professional uses a medical procedure as a cover for abuse, the law can and will strip away that white coat and see them for exactly what they are.
It also put every school, hospital, and athletic board on notice: If you hide a predator, you will be bankrupted.
George Tyndall was a gynecologist at USC for nearly thirty years, and for most of that time, he treated the student health center like his own personal hunting ground. He didn’t just “cross a line”—he built an entire career out of abusing his position. It wasn’t until a Los Angeles Times investigation blew the doors off the place in 2018 that the world realized hundreds of women had been sounding the alarm since the ’90s.
The most infuriating part? USC knew. They suspended him in 2016, but instead of calling the police, they let him “quietly resign” with a fat payout in 2017. It took another two years before the state finally hit him with 27 felony counts, including sexual penetration of unconscious people and sexual battery by fraud.
The Cost of Looking the Other Way
USC eventually learned that protecting a predator’s reputation is the most expensive mistake a university can make. To settle the claims from the women Tyndall targeted, the school had to pay out over $1.1 billion.
The legal system failed to give the survivors a guilty verdict. Tyndall died in 2023. He died a free man in his own home. Never had to face a jury for the felonies he was charged with.
It’s a bitter ending for the victims. The massive financial hit to USC serves as a permanent, billion-dollar warning to every other university in the country. It will eventually cost you everything if you help a doctor hide his crimes.
When it comes to Dr. Barry Brock, we aren’t talking about a single “misunderstanding.” We are talking about 330 women coming forward in one of the most massive sexual abuse lawsuits California has ever seen. For forty years, Brock allegedly used his role as an OB-GYN at Cedars-Sinai to turn routine exams into a nightmare of assault and harassment. When you have hundreds of women asking, “What is inappropriate touching by a doctor?”, it’s no longer a “misunderstanding
But here is the part that should make your blood boil: the lawsuit claims Cedars-Sinai knew.
According to the legal filings, the hospital sat on its hands while patients and even their own staff reported Brock’s behavior. The hospital didn’t call the police or the medical board. It kept renewing his privileges and handing him a fresh supply of victims. It took four decades and a mountain of legal pressure. They finally stripped him of his privileges in 2023.
The “Star Doctor” Shield
This case is a textbook example of institutional cover-ups. Large hospitals often protect “high-revenue” doctors because they care more about their brand and their bottom line than the safety of the women on the exam table.
If you were a patient of Dr. Brock or if you’ve experienced something similar at a major medical center, you need to realize that the hospital’s lawyers are already working to protect the institution. You need someone working just as hard to protect you.
If you think the California Medical Board is a watchdog looking out for patients, the math says otherwise. The reality is much bleaker: only 4% of complaints ever result in a doctor actually being disciplined. Whether it’s a surgical mistake or a report of sexual assault, the vast majority of cases are essentially tossed in the trash before a doctor even has to answer for them.
It’s a broken system that protects the “MD” title more than the person on the exam table.
By the Numbers: A “Get Out of Jail Free” Card
The board received over 10,000 complaints (between 2018 & 2019). They only bothered to open a formal investigation for about 1,600.
When it comes to sexual misconduct, the numbers are even more insulting.
Why the System Fails Survivors
The board isn’t a criminal court; it’s a group of insiders. Their process is slow, secretive, and heavily weighted in favor of the physician. If you file a complaint about a doctor’s “creepy” behavior or an assault, you might wait years just to be told that the board “couldn’t find enough evidence” to act.
This is exactly why so many people skip the board entirely and go straight to a private lawyer. If the state won’t discipline a predator, a civil lawsuit is often the only way to actually hit them where it hurts and force the truth into the light.
You cannot rely on the Medical Board to be your advocate.
If you’re waiting for the Medical Board of California to strip a predator of their license, don’t hold your breath. The numbers are absolutely pathetic. Between 2017 & early 2025, hundreds and hundreds of sexual misconduct reports were filed. The Board only actually revoked 23 licenses.
Think about that for a second. In a state with over 150,000 doctors, that’s a revocation rate of less than 0.015%.
The “Untouchable” White Coat
License revocation is supposed to be the “death penalty” for a medical career. It’s the ultimate tool to keep patients safe. But the Board treats it like a last resort they’re terrified to use. Even when the evidence is solid, they’d much rather hand out a “slap on the wrist”—maybe some probation or a required “ethics class”—than actually stop a doctor from practicing.
Why This Matters to You
When the Board fails to act, they aren’t just protecting one doctor—they’re leaving a predator in a position of power where they can find more victims. If you’re looking for justice, the “official” channels are basically a dead end. This is why civil lawsuits are so common; if the state won’t take their license, a jury can at least take their money and expose their name to the public.
The Board might be okay with a 0.015% accountability rate, but the legal system doesn’t have to be.
In California, even if a doctor is caught and their license is actually revoked for sexual abuse, that “permanent” ban is often anything but. Under state law, these doctors can usually apply for reinstatement after just three years.
It sounds crazy, but the Medical Board is legally required to process these petitions. Critics and patient advocacy groups are furious because it creates a revolving door for predators. A doctor can commit a heinous act, wait out a 36-month “time-out,” and then walk back into an exam room to see patients again.
The “Second Chance” Loophole
The process for getting a license back isn’t a secret—it’s a strategy. A doctor just has to convince a panel that they’ve been “rehabilitated.”
Why Public Safety is Taking a Backseat
The Board argues they don’t have the authority to issue “permanent” bans because the law doesn’t allow it. But for a patient, the idea that the doctor who assaulted them could be back in practice before their own trauma has even begun to heal is a total failure of the system.
The biggest loophole in California’s system is that hospitals are allowed to treat sexual assault like an “HR problem” instead of a crime.
Right now, if a clinic or hospital gets a written complaint that a doctor abused a patient, they are required to tell the Medical Board—but that’s usually where the paper trail ends. There is no law forcing that hospital to pick up the phone and call the police.
The “Board” vs. The Police
By only reporting to the Board, the system allows hospitals to quietly push a doctor out the back door without a single criminal charge ever being filed. This “gap in accountability” is exactly how a predator ends up simply moving to a different office across town to start over with a clean slate.
When you decide to report a doctor, you’re often forced to make a “deal with the devil”: you can have justice, or you can have your privacy, but you might not get both.
In many parts of the country, the system is set up to strip away your anonymity the second a formal investigation starts. This isn’t just a minor hurdle—it’s a massive wall that stops most survivors from ever speaking up.
The “Identity Trap”
Right now, 18 states have laws that essentially hand your name over to the doctor you’re accusing. The logic is that the doctor has a right to “know their accuser” to defend themselves. This is incredibly damaging in a sexual abuse case.
Why Privacy is a Safety Issue
For a survivor, privacy isn’t just about “not being embarrassed.” It’s about safety. Doctors are powerful figures with money, status, and legal teams. Knowing that your name is being disclosed to them can lead to:
The Attorney “Shield”
This is one of the biggest reasons people hire a private lawyer rather than just filing a board complaint. A lawyer can often act as a buffer. While the medical board might demand your name, a civil lawsuit can sometimes be filed using a pseudonym to keep your real name out of the headlines while the case moves forward.
The “10%” statistic is a gut punch. It means 9 out of 10 people who get violated in an exam room never say a word. Why? Because the system is basically rigged to make you feel like you’re the one who is crazy, not the guy with the MD.
If you’ve been holding this in, it’s probably because of these four psychological “walls” that predators love to hide behind:
The “Authority” Mind Game
Doctors are the ultimate authority figures. We’re taught from childhood to trust them with our lives. They use their degrees as a silencer.
The Body’s “Freeze” Response
One of the biggest reasons for the 90% silence rate is shame. People blame themselves for not jumping off the table & screaming. That shame turns into a wall that keeps you from telling anyone. You might still be wondering, “What is inappropriate touching by a doctor?” because the “medical” excuses are still ringing in your ears.
Fear of the “Medical Blacklist”
In a lot of communities, the medical circle is small. Victims are terrified that they won’t be able to get an appointment with any other specialist in town. They fear being labeled a “lawsuit risk.”
The “System” is a Dead End
Most people look at the Medical Board—a group of doctors judging other doctors—and think, “Why bother?” They see the low rates of license revocation and assume the hospital will just protect its “star surgeon” anyway.
Flipping the Power Dynamic
The doctor counts on you feeling small, alone, and confused. That power dynamic shifts instantly when you talk to a lawyer. You aren’t a “patient” anymore. You’re a plaintiff. And that doctor isn’t an “authority figure”; he’s a defendant.
If you just walked out of an appointment feeling violated, your “medical” brain is probably fighting with your “gut” brain. Stop the internal debate.
Get Out and Stay Out
If you are still at the office or have an upcoming follow-up, don’t go back. Trust the “Icky” Feeling: You don’t need a medical degree to know when a touch was lingering, or a comment was sexual. If it felt wrong, it was. You are under no obligation to explain why you’re leaving or canceling. Your safety is the only priority.
The “Brain Dump” (Document Everything)
Sit down right now. In your car, at a coffee shop, or at home. Write it all down.
Don’t “Clean Up” the Evidence
It sounds clinical, but your body and your clothes might be a crime scene.
What Happens Next
A predator’s greatest weapon is your silence and the hope that you’ll just “move on.” By documenting this now, you are taking that weapon away from them.
After a doctor violates you, the last thing you want to do is talk to another person in a lab coat. It feels like the whole “healing” profession is a lie. But you can’t let a predator’s choices become a life sentence for your health.
You need to move from “patient” mode into “self-defense” mode. Here’s how you handle the aftermath without letting the medical system get its hooks into you again.
The “New Network” Rule
If you need a follow-up or a physical checkup, do not go back to that building. Even if the front desk staff were nice, that facility is now a crime scene in your mind.
Get an Outside Perspective
The “medical gaslighting” is the most difficult to overcome. “Maybe I’m simply being sensitive,” or “What if that was a real procedure?” may be on your mind. You must have conversations with non-hospital employees.
Decontaminate Your Mental Space
Medical abuse is a kind of betrayal. When they use that power to hurt you, it creates “Medical PTSD.”
You must be ready to stop being a “victim.” You need to know exactly how to hit a predator where it hurts. You don’t have to wait for the system to “do the right thing.” You have several ways to force the issue.
The Criminal Path: Call the Police
A white coat isn’t a “get out of jail free” card. If a doctor touched you sexually, they committed a crime—period.
The Goal: Handcuffs and a criminal record.
The Reality: Don’t let the hospital “investigate” this for you. Hospitals are businesses; the police are investigators. If you want a criminal record to follow this person, you go to the local PD or the District Attorney.
The Civil Path: Hire an Attorney
This is often where the most real-world justice happens. A civil lawsuit isn’t just about money; it’s about discovery.
The Goal: Force the hospital to hand over its secret files.
Why it Works: A lawyer can subpoena internal emails and records to see if other women complained about this doctor before you. This is often the only way to prove the hospital “knew” and let it happen anyway. Plus, it hits the doctor and the institution in the only place they truly feel it: their bank account.
The Professional Path: The Medical Board
A formal complaint can be submitted to the Medical Board of California.
The Goal: Get their medical license pulled.
The Reality: Be prepared for a slow, bureaucratic grind. As we’ve seen, the Board is notoriously slow to act, but a formal complaint creates a “paper trail” that makes it much harder for the doctor to claim they have a “clean record” in the future.
The Internal Path: Hospital Administration
You can report the doctor to the “Chief Medical Officer” or the hospital’s HR department.
The Goal: Get the doctor fired or suspended.
The Warning: Be extremely careful here. The hospital’s legal team works for the hospital, not you. Their first instinct might be to “manage” you or get you to sign something. Never talk to hospital risk management without having your own lawyer on the phone.
Which Way is Best?
Most survivors choose to do all of the above. Using multiple pathways makes it impossible for the doctor to hide. If the police are calling, the Medical Board is investigating, and a civil lawyer is suing, the “code of silence” usually falls apart pretty fast.
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