New York Dr. Cheng Accused of Sexual Assault & Misconduct

People sexually abused at hospitals and other health care facilities can sue for compensation based on negligence and other torts. At least one victim is claiming that New York-Presbyterian Hospital covered up Cheng’s sexual assaults.

The unnamed patient claims she reported getting a painful injection from Cheng that rendered her unconscious. She did not know at the time that she had been sexually assaulted as well. She learned about the assault when the police recovered Cheng’s videos.

The hospital assembled a lineup of doctors, and the patient identified Cheng. However, the hospital did not collect any evidence of what the injection was or test her clothing or sheets for signs of sexual assault. The day after the lineup, Cheng treated the patient again during her surgery.

The lawsuit alleges that another doctor drew her blood to test for HIV without telling her. No one at the hospital told her they thought she might be a victim of sexual assault. The hospital did provide her with the New York State Sexual Assault Victim Bill of Rights among her many discharge papers.

The patient was in the hospital for gallstones, so providing her with that information was unusual if staff didn’t suspect she was a victim. The hospital did not notify the police or take any action against Cheng.

The patient’s lawsuit claims that there is a pattern of ignoring patient abuse complaints at the hospital. New York-Presbyterian was also part of the Dr. Robert Hadden sexual abuse scandal and resulting litigation. Dr. Darius Paduch, another alleged serial sexual abuser, also worked in the New York-Presbyterian hospital system at Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. 

Another of Cheng’s victims questions lax controls over sedatives at the hospital. She was an acquaintance of Cheng’s—not a patient—but she believes the sedatives he used before he sexually assaulted her came from the hospital. Her attorney points out that dispensing medications in the hospital is highly regulated and that other doctors may have known what Cheng was doing but failed to stop him.

Victims can sue if the hospital knew or should have known about Cheng’s abuse. The hospital and other doctors there owe patients a duty of care. When they breach that duty and patients suffer harm, they are liable for damages.

Victims can file individual lawsuits or become part of class actions. As of late 2023, there were no class action lawsuits based on Cheng’s sexual abuse, but that may happen as more victims come forward.