Irvine California – Attorneys representing alleged victims of former UCLA Oncologist/Gynecologist Dr. James Heaps filed lawsuits today accusing the doctor of repeatedly sexual assaulting them under the guise of performing legitimate medical treatments. Two lawsuits were filed, one on behalf of 3 women who were UCLA students at the time of the alleged assaults and the other on behalf of six women who were non-student patients at the UCLA Medical Center.
During visits that stretched from 1989 to 2017, the women allege that Heaps did “sexually abuse and assault each of the Plaintiffs by, among other things: groping and fondling Plaintiffs’ breasts under the guise of conducting ‘breast examinations;’ digitally penetrating Plaintiffs’ vaginas under the guise of conducting ‘pelvic examinations’ and rubbing and caressing the exterior of Plaintiffs’ genitalia, all for no legitimate medical purpose and for no other reason than to satisfy his own sexual desires.”
According to media reports, the University of California Regents paid a woman $2.25 million who alleged that Heaps sexually assaulted her while he was practicing at UCLA. The University also paid $1.3 million to a UCLA nurse-practitioner who alleged sexual harassment and retaliation for her participation in UCLA internal investigations of Heap’s misconduct.
In addition, about 75 people have contacted UCLA about Heaps since the University announced that Los Angeles County prosecutors had filed charges last week. Heaps also faces criminal charges of sexual battery on two patients.
“UCLA tried to settle one case in secret hoping that more victims would not come forward. The secret is out now and I encourage every victim of Dr. Heaps to contact law enforcement and step forward to demand justice. If you have been a victim of Dr. Heaps, do not contact UCLA. Call California Department of Consumer Affairs Investigator Patrick Foo at (562) 560-1528” said sexual abuse victim’s attorney John Manly.
Manly Stewart & Finaldi currently represent more than 50 alleged victims of Dr. James Heaps and 200 alleged victims of disgraced former USC gynecologist George Tyndall.
Manly Stewart & Finaldi is California’s leading law firm representing child victims of sexual abuse. The firm has represented more than 150 victims of clergy sexual abuse in California and hundreds of others throughout the United States. The firm also represented plaintiffs in the $140,000,000 settlement against LAUSD in the Miramonte case, the largest sex abuse settlement against a School District in the US. The firm currently represents more than 180 alleged victims of former Michigan State University and U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Olympic Team doctor Larry Nassar. Michigan State University has settled this case for $500,000,000, the largest settlement of any personal injury case against a University. In 2018, the firm settled cases against the Torrance Unified School District for $31 million on behalf of alleged victims of former wrestling coach and convicted child molester Thomas Snider; against Los Angeles Unified School district for $8 million in cases involving former football coach and convicted child molester Jamie Jimenez; and for $14 million in cases involving former Los Angeles Unified District employee Ronnie Lee Roman.
