University of Maryland Medical Center employees are suing the hospital after a pharmacist allegedly installed spyware on hospital computers to access intimate photos and record videos, The Baltimore Sun reported April 3.
The pharmacist, identified in the complaint as Matthew Bathula, used spyware to “record videos of young doctors and medical residents pumping breastmilk in closed treatment rooms” and tap into home security cameras to record similar intimate moments, the lawsuit states.
Six women are suing the University of Maryland Medical Center, claiming it failed to protect employees from the breach. The lawsuit, filed March 27, alleges Mr. Bathula also accessed personal photo libraries and personal data.
According to the lawsuit, the pharmacist accessed at least 400 hospital computers over the span of about 10 years.
The University of Maryland Medical Center said in an April 3 statement that it is cooperating with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The hospital notified employees of a “serious IT incident” in an October 2024 email, though the lawsuit alleges the women were not aware of the breach or its extent until they were contacted by FBI investigators.
“The actions alleged in this matter run counter to every single value we stand for,” the statement said. “At every level of our organization, we are deeply disappointed and angered at the actions of the individual at the center of this criminal investigation. It’s our most sincere hope and expectation that the person alleged to have violated the trust of his colleagues and of our organization will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Bathula was placed on leave and later fired from the hospital, but he has not been criminally charged and is not a defendant in the lawsuit.
