Harbor UCLA Medical Center Surgeon Fired after Investigation
Breaking News: A surgeon with the Harbor UCLA Medical Center who was accused of extensive misbehavior has been fired by the hospital after a two-year investigation.
Dr. Louis Kwong was the subject of a lawsuit against L.A. County filed last year. The allegations made against the doctor include “finger-banging surgical hip wounds” while he simulated sex sounds and said that he was “finding the G-spot,” asking hospital staff if they wanted to take “body shots” off of a female colleague, prioritizing elective procedures over urgent trauma procedures, holding up pictures of Black resident candidates and asking if colleagues wanted “Brother X o Brother Y,” wearing his gun at the hospital (including in the operating room), and more. The lawsuit was brought forth by three doctors; they claim that hospital leaders ignored their complaints.
The doctor was placed on administrative during the two year-investigation until he was fired in April of 2024. So, what did the investigation conclude? The investigation found that Dr. Kwong “regularly gawked at the genitalia of anesthetized patients and never disclosed that he was being paid by a medical device company whose products he used on patients.” He reportedly “looked under the surgical covers of Black males…and discussed the ‘genitals of the day.’” He also reportedly “discussed his favorite sex positions and his preference for ‘auto-erotic asphyxiation.” The doctor also earned more than $700,000 from a company that makes joint replacements, but never reported the conflict of interest to the county. Although the discharge notice at the conclusion of the investigation did not mention the allegations of bringing a gun into the operating room, it did mention that he brought a personal knife into the O.R. at least once.
Griselda Gutierez, the hospital’s chief medical officer, wrote the following in Dr. Kwong’s dismissal notice: “Your inappropriate, disparaging comments and actions were offensive, and created an uncomfortable, hostile, and demoralizing work environment for others.” Although the doctor’s inappropriate behavior was not officially reported until 2021, the inappropriate behavior had been going on for many years.
Unfortunately, doctors sometimes feel untouchable and believe that they are not subject to any rules. In this case, Dr. Kwong was constantly being inappropriate and creating a hostile work environment. His actions towards patients are also concerning.
If you suffered any harm as a result of Dr. Kwong’s behavior, you could have the right to file a lawsuit against the hospital– whether you are staff that was affected by the hostile work environment or a patient that was subject to racial discrimination or sexual misconduct, you could have the right to sue.
Here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, our experts are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for your rights and recover the compensation that you are owed. For more information about the legal options available to you, contact the experts here at our law firm today.
$2.4 Million
$2,287,495
$54 Million
$22 Million
$600,000
$965,000
Assaulted By Employee
$1,900,000
$1,975,000
When the conduct of an individual at work, whether it is a colleague, a superior, etc., makes the environment at work hostile, employees could have the right to pursue a claim for hostile work environment. Although every situation is different, examples of hostile work environment can include the following:
- Making offensive comments about race, gender, or religion
- Engaging in unwanted physical contact
- Making inappropriate jokes/comments about patients and other staff
Whether you were affected by the hostile work environment created by Dr. Kwong or any other doctor, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. For more information about the legal options available to you, contact the experts here at our law firm today.
Misconduct at the Hands of DoctorsWhen patients undergo procedures, they trust that they will be in the best hands possible. They trust that their doctors and their entire medical team will treat them with the highest degree of care. Patients do not expect to be the subject of sexual misconduct while they are under anesthesia undergoing a major procedure. If you found out that you were sexually molested during a medical procedure, you could have the right to file a lawsuit. If you are interested in learning more about the legal options available to you, contact us as soon as possible.
In the situation discussed above, the doctor was being inappropriate towards male patients by gawking at the genitalia of unconscious patients and making sexual noises while putting his fingers in surgical wounds. Although this may not fit the definition of sexual abuse, it is still a gross invasion of privacy and is very inappropriate, especially in a medical setting. Any doctor that behaves this way towards their patients should be fired. The hospitals that allow this misconduct to happen and continue for years should be held accountable.
You have rights. Whether you are hospital staff or a patient that was affected by the unprofessional and inappropriate behavior of a doctor, it is important that you explore the legal options available to you. You may have the right to sue the hospital. For more information about your right to file a claim and recover compensation, contact us today.
Contact the Downtown L.A. Law Group TodayIf you are ready to speak with our legal team, contact us today. We have decades of experience and are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to begin or continue your claim. We are committed to remaining as accessible as possible to all; therefore, we offer free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our team will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns. Whether you want to begin your claim or continue your claim after starting it elsewhere, our team can help you. We offer a Zero-Fee Guarantee, meaning that you will never be required to pay upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. Since our firm works on a strict contingency structure, our clients will actually not be required to pay anything unless their claims are successful. If you do not win, you will not be responsible for any legal fees.
If you are ready to speak with our team about a doctor’s gross misconduct, contact us today!
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