A lawsuit claims that an orthopedic surgeon sexually harassed unconscious patients and created a toxic workplace after three female lead physicians claimed their management ignored their concerns about his disturbing behavior for years.
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Dr. Louis Kwong is accused of sexual harassment, retaliation, and discriminatory behavior at Habor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. In their lawsuit, the head of the orthopedics department allegedly created a toxic work environment and put patients at risk. Dr. Kwon reportedly committed sexual misconduct on several patients in the operating room, delayed procedures for county residents to perform elective procedures, and demanded that his staff change the operation room monitor to a baseball game during surgery. Another disturbing claim said he placed his fingers in an open hip wound of an unconscious patient and started making moaning noises. During the disturbing incident, he allegedly said he “found the G-spot,” as reported by NBC News.
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Another incident involved Kwon unclothing another unconscious patient and telling one woman to “look at their private part after being told it was large.” In the lawsuit, Drs. Haleh Badkoobehi, Jennifer Hsu, and Dr. Madonna Fernandez-Frackelton said they were demoted or retaliated when complaining about Kwon’s behavior to management.
His colleagues accused Kwon of wearing a gun at the hospital due to his stint as a volunteer deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County.
Documents said there were misogynistic incidents at the hospital. Kwon allegedly asked staff, “who wants to take body shots off Dr. Badkoobehi?” one woman said she was taken to a strip club from work without her consent. Kwon also supervised residential students and allegedly asked female students, “What sexual position causes a penile fracture?” and continued to press them until he got an answer. Since he was the director of the orthopedic residency program, he reportedly held up pictures of two black male candidates. He asked his colleagues: “Do you want Brother X or Brother Y?”
Management placed Kwong on administrative leave in March 2022, and he received over $1 million in pay and benefits. He has worked at Harbor-UCLA since 1990. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education placed the facility on probation after 64 emergency department residents filed complaints about the orthopedic unit.
The facility did not comment on the lawsuit but said, “Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is committed to the health and safety of our patients and staff. These misconduct allegations are being thoroughly investigated and, if substantiated, will result in appropriate corrective actions. We deeply value the trust the public places in our dedicated medical and patient care teams. Safeguarding patient care is our highest priority.”
