Employees at Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System filed a lawsuit Sept. 11 after hidden cameras were discovered in hospital restrooms.
Here are eight things to know:
1. The Sept. 11 lawsuit names Memorial Hermann and Robert Shrader, a former director of patient care, as defendants. Mr. Shrader was arrested Aug. 27 and charged with invasive visual recording, according to court documents obtained by Becker’s.
2. The plaintiffs include five individuals who currently or previously worked at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center in Shenandoah, Texas.
3. On or around Aug. 21, during routine maintenance, a construction team found a recording device in a restroom across from the labor and delivery unit at The Woodlands Medical Center, according to the lawsuit. Shortly after, Memorial Hermann sent an email to staff confirming the device had been placed by a supervisory employee, reported it to law enforcement, and said security was sweeping for additional devices.
4. On Aug. 25, another camera was found in a public restroom in the hospital’s medical surgery unit. A security manager discovered a micro-SD card with footage of Mr. Shrader installing the camera, as well as more than 100 images of individuals using the restroom. Another SD card with images was later found in Mr. Shrader’s office, according to the lawsuit.
5. The plaintiffs are suing Memorial Hermann for negligence, including failure to inspect premises and failure to timely review security footage. They are also suing all defendants for intentional infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy. The group is seeking more than $100 million in damages and a jury trial.
6. Memorial Hermann shared the following statement with Becker’s on Sept. 17:
“We intend to vigorously defend ourselves in this matter. The criminal conduct undertaken by the former employee occurred outside the scope of his employment, contrary to our policy and without our knowledge.”
7. Mr. Shrader is the sole defendant in a separate lawsuit filed Sept. 5 by a registered nurse at the hospital’s medical-surgical unit. The defendant managed nurses on the unit, according to that case. The lawsuit includes images of a hole in the ceiling tile of the second-floor bathroom where the first camera was discovered.
“This was far more than a simple invasion of someone’s privacy,” Ed Blizzard, the plaintiff’s attorney in the Sept. 5 lawsuit, said in a statement shared with Becker’s on Sept. 18. “It was a violation of basic dignity in a place where people are most vulnerable and should feel safe. That betrayal will have lasting effects, and we intend to hold those responsible accountable. This is not about one victim, it’s about the staff, the patients and the family members who used that facility. They all deserved better.”
8. Mr. Shrader posted bond and was released, local TV station KPRC 2 reported Sept. 16. Becker’s was unable to reach him or his attorney for comment. KPRC 2 reported his attorney for the criminal case declined to comment because he is not representing Mr. Shrader in the civil cases.
