Woman sues Weber County hospital, security firm alleging sexual assault by a guard

WASHINGTON TERRACE — Cheryl says her experience at Ogden Regional Medical Center has left her with searing, brutal memories.

"The whole experience has been very traumatizing, and it's something that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life," she said. "I'm still working through the process of what has happened, how it's changed me, who I've become."

The woman says she was sexually assaulted by a security guard when she went to the hospital for care, and now she's suing Ogden Regional and the firm contracted at the time to provide security at the facility, alleging they were negligent and disregarded patient safety and more. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in 3rd District Court, comes in the wake of two others filed in 2nd District Court in Ogden by women making similar allegations against the Washington Terrace hospital and the security company, HSS Inc.

Michael Young, representing Cheryl and Stephanie, one of the two other women who alleges she was sexually assaulted at Ogden Regional, said he's hard-pressed to understand how the assaults could have occurred given patient safety guidelines hospitals must follow. His two clients — who met by happenstance during a group session for sexual assault survivors — asked that they only be identified by their first names.

He hopes officials from the medical facility and security firm "take a hard look" at the steps they're taking to assure patient safety. In Cheryl's suit, she seeks $30 million in compensatory damages for what she endured and for what she says are the missteps of officials from the hospital and security company.

"There's no lessons learned here. There is only do better because you know better, and you should have been doing better this entire time," said Young.

Cheryl, for her part, worries there may be more victims and wants to raise awareness about what happened to encourage them to step forward. She feels confident "that there are other victims that this happened to besides the three of us that have made official complaints."

In a statement, Ogden Regional Medical Center called the allegations against HSS "disturbing" and indicated it no longer works with the company, alluding to it as a "former contractor." The HSS security guard accused of sexually assaulting Cheryl, Stephanie and the third woman — focus of a continuing criminal investigation, Young thinks — was fired in 2022, according to Cheryl's lawsuit.

"While the individual has not been criminally charged, we have assisted law enforcement during the course of their investigation into this individual," the Ogden Regional statement says. "Our current administration will continue to work with the third-party contractor that hires and supervises security personnel to ensure the right procedures and processes are in place to protect those who seek our care."

In a statement, HSS denied any wrongdoing.

"While it is the policy of HSS not to comment on the specifics of pending litigation, we take allegations of this nature seriously. The safety and well-being of the communities we serve remain our paramount priority. HSS denies any wrongdoing in this matter and stands behind its commitment to providing a safe environment for its clients," the statement reads.

Cheryl is also suing Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare, which controls Ogden Regional, and Tarian Group, the parent company of HSS. As she filed her suit on Tuesday, none of the defendants have yet formally responded.

According to her suit, Cheryl went to Ogden Regional for care in March 2022, severely intoxicated and suffering from alcohol poisoning. The alleged assaults at the hospital by the security guard against Stephanie and the third woman date to 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The guard entered the emergency room observation unit where Cheryl had been placed and when the woman awoke, she found him "rubbing her shoulder and arm," according to the suit. Still intoxicated, she froze, not knowing what to do. The fondling continued, though he would stop when others entered.

"The nurses did not challenge (the security guard's) positioning at (the woman's) bedside, did not question why a security officer was seated behind a patient rather than observing from outside the room or at a distance, and did not intervene despite (the man) remaining inside during their checks," the lawsuit alleges.

Cheryl was later moved to a private room, and the security guard subsequently entered, directing her to the bathroom, where he raped her, the lawsuit states. Cheryl was in a "state of impaired consciousness" and fearful and followed the man's instructions, "believing she had no choice otherwise."

The lawsuit says the hospital discharged Cheryl to the security guard, who brought her to a motel, where he allegedly raped her again. Cheryl then called 911 and reported she had been raped.

Weber County sheriff's officials investigated, but the security guard remained on the job. Cheryl, transported once again to the hospital later that same month for care, again encountered the man, who again allegedly sexually assaulted her, the lawsuit says. "Staff observed (the man) entering and exiting (the woman's) room, bringing her items and remaining inside for extended periods. But no one intervened."

Later, Cheryl reported what had happened to an Ogden Regional caseworker and said she had been raped, but she never heard about any follow-up. Moreover, the man allegedly continued to visit her after she was placed in the hospital's behavioral health unit until asked by staff to stay away.

"(The entities) were given an opportunity to protect their patients, and for whatever reason, they chose to protect themselves, and they chose to ignore a problem that was right in front of them," Young alleges.

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