DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Lawsuit filed against Johns Hopkins over privacy breach

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Dissent

Julia Filip reports that a potential class action lawsuit has been filed by three former patients of Dr. Nikita Levy against the Johns Hopkins Health System dba The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

The lawsuit arises from disclosures that Dr. Levy was secretly recording and photographing his OB/GYN patients. The doctor committed suicide after the hospital became aware of this conduct from another employee and terminated him. Law enforcement recovered numerous files and materials from his home.

There was no doubt in my mind that lawsuits would be filed in this case. It’s not clear from the news story whether the complainants allege that they were actually photographed or recorded.

According to Filip:

They seek class certification, compensatory and punitive damages for invasion of privacy, lack of informed consent, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, violations of Maryland visual surveillance laws, and costs of therapy and counseling.

They also want Johns Hopkins to find and destroy all photographs and videos made of Levy’s patients, to notify all potential victims, and to prevent exploitation of patients.

I do not have a copy of the lawsuit, but I would guess that the hospital would love nothing better than to destroy such materials if and when they are permitted to. And it’s also clear that they have every intention of notifying victims and potential victims, but some of that depends on law enforcement cooperating with them and them being able to identify the patients in the pictures or videos. This will not be an easy or quick task as at this point, there’s no clear timeframe for when this conduct even started.

Without a copy of the complaint available, it may be that the plaintiffs in this case were not the subjects of his recording. In that case, they may not have standing to sue unless Maryland’s courts recognize emotional distress and psychological damages as harm. Perhaps someone familiar with Maryland law can clarify that. I’ve emailed their attorney to ask him if he can comment on those questions.

I expect this will be a tough case for the hospital to defend against, and at this point, I won’t even try to  predict what will happen if the lawsuit doesn’t settle.

No related posts.

Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← Health Care Clinic Director Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
Genesco takes VISA to court over data breach (updated) →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Air Force Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Disclose Unlawfully Classified National Defense Information
  • UK police arrest four in connection with M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyberattacks (1)
  • At U.S. request, France jails Russian basketball player Daniil Kasatkin on suspicion of ransomware conspiracy
  • Avantic Medical Lab hacked; patient data leaked by Everest Group
  • Integrated Oncology Network victim of phishing attack; multiple locations affected (2)
  • HHS’ Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule Investigation with Deer Oaks Behavioral Health for $225k and a Corrective Action Plan
  • HB1127 Explained: North Dakota’s New InfoSec Requirements for Financial Corporations
  • Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined
  • Five youths arrested on suspicion of phishing
  • Russia Jailed Hacker Who Worked for Ukrainian Intelligence to Launch Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How to Build on Washington’s “My Health, My Data” Act
  • Department of Justice Subpoenas Doctors and Clinics Involved in Performing Transgender Medical Procedures on Children
  • Google Settles Privacy Class Action Over Period Tracking App
  • ICE Is Searching a Massive Insurance and Medical Bill Database to Find Deportation Targets
  • Franklin, Tennessee Resident Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison on Multiple Cyber Stalking Charges
  • On July 7, Gemini AI will access your WhatsApp and more. Learn how to disable it on Android.
  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.