Photo: ROBYN BECK / AFP / Getty Images
The University of California will pay $246.3 million dollars to resolve the civil case filed by more than 200 women who accused a former UCLA gynecologist of sexual misconduct.
The indictment filed is against James Heaps, who served for almost 30 years as a UCLA-affiliated gynecologist and oncologist.
Heaps treated patients at UCLA/Ronald Reagan Medical Center and in his office at 80 Medical Plaza.
According to reports, at one point Heaps was the highest paid physician in the entire UC system and had treated about 6,000 patients, said the lawyers.
More than
lawsuits against Heaps and UCLA, accusing the university of failing to protect to their patients after learning of the doctor’s misconduct.
The lawsuits they maintain that UCLA actively and deliberately hid the sexual abuse of patients by Heaps.
Despite having knowledge of the situation, UCLA continued to allow Heaps unrestricted sexual access to female patients, many of whom were being treated for cancer at UCLA.
UCLA Stance
In a statement released Tuesday, UCLA officials said the conduct allegedly committed by Heaps was contrary to the values of the university.
“Our first and highest obligation will always be with the communities we serve, and we hope that this settlement will be a step toward healing and closure for the plaintiffs involved. We admire the courage of the plaintiffs in coming forward and appreciate the commitment of the plaintiffs’ attorneys to resolve the claims,” they said.
In July, a federal judge approved a $35 million dollar settlement to a lawsuit filed by more than 5,200 women who alleged abuse and sexual assault as patients for part of Heaps.
In the current settlement, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, 203 women sued that they were assaulted by Heaps.
The doctor faces 21 felony charges of sexual abuse in state court in a criminal case in which he is accused of sexual assault against seven women. If convicted of all charges, he could face more than 67 years in prison.
In its statement, UC said that UCLA Health, the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center and system leadership UC took steps to address issues alleged in the litigation, including enhanced policies and procedures to prevent, detect, and respond to allegations of physician sexual misconduct.
Formal investigation in 2017
The federal lawsuits allege that if patients complained about Heaps years before, it was until the end of 2017 that the physician’s sexual misconduct allegations were reported to the UCLA Title IX office, which opened a formal investigation.
allowed Heaps to continue his consultations during the investigation as after UCLA informed him that his contract would not be renewed after its expiration on 30 June 2018.
UCLA terminated its relationship with Heaps and notified the police of the charges against him on 14 June 2018.
In June 2019, Heaps was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual assault.
After his arrest, more women filed complaints against Heaps for sexual misconduct, and in August 2020 The former gynecologist was charged with additional felonies.
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