'The hospitals failed every step of the way': staff protected neurologist ...

'The hospitals failed every step of the way': staff protected neurologist ...
'The hospitals failed every step of the way': staff protected neurologist ...

A neurologist who allegedly hooked dozens of women on 'astounding' doses of painkillers before sexually abusing them was reportedly protected by staff who 'looked the other way' over 12 years at three different hospitals, according to the latest of 22 lawsuits against him. 

Ricardo Cruciani, 63, is accused of forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them. 

If they refused, he allegedly withheld the huge and addictive doses of pain medications he prescribed them.

The latest lawsuit, filed on behalf of six alleged victims in July, states that the failure of hospital staff to report Ivy League-trained Cruciani 'fail(ed) victims every step of the way.'

None of the medical practices that employed the disgraced doctor - including Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, Capital Institute for Neurosciences in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, and Drexel University in Pennsylvania - have been held liable for employing him despite the repeated red flags raised throughout his 35-year tenure. 

The shocking failure of nurses, therapists and administration to report Ivy League-trained Ricardo Cruciani, 63, for repeated inappropriate behavior 'fail[ed] victims 'every step of the way,' was revealed in a lawsuit filed this July that is still in litigation

The shocking failure of nurses, therapists and administration to report Ivy League-trained Ricardo Cruciani, 63, for repeated inappropriate behavior 'fail[ed] victims 'every step of the way,' was revealed in a lawsuit filed this July that is still in litigation

When the women resisted Ricardo Cruciani's advances (pictured leaving court with his wife, pediatrician Nora Cruciani, in 2018) - which included forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them - he withheld their doses of pain medications, which were so overprescribed that other doctors wouldn't match his prescriptions

When the women resisted Ricardo Cruciani's advances (pictured leaving court with his wife, pediatrician Nora Cruciani, in 2018) - which included forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them - he withheld their doses of pain medications, which were so overprescribed that other doctors wouldn't match his prescriptions

'[The hospitals] knowingly ignored their reporting and oversight duties... and knowingly let [Cruciani] walk out the door so that he could continue his predatory sexual misconduct... at subsequent healthcare systems,' reads the lawsuit. 

Attorney Jeffrey Fritz, who is representing six women in a suit against the New Jersey and New York hospitals, told Dailymail.com that there are typically multiple checks to prevent abuse going unchecked.

'All of the checks failed these women, therefore the hospitals failed these women every step of the way,' he said.

The attorney is also representing 18 more women suing Drexel University, where Cruciani served as the chair of the neurology department.  

In total, Fritz said, there are 18 pending civil suits against Cruciani in Pennsylvania, three in New Jersey covering 18 or 19 women and one in New York on behalf of 12 victims. 

At one point, she said in an interview with the New York Times, plaintiff Tanisha Johnson was prescribed a heady dose of 1,300 pain pills per month. Over the course of several months in Cruciani's care, the doctor's behavior escalated from putting an arm around her during his first consultation to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex

At one point, she said in an interview with the New York Times, plaintiff Tanisha Johnson was prescribed a heady dose of 1,300 pain pills per month. Over the course of several months in Cruciani's care, the doctor's behavior escalated from putting an arm around her during his first consultation to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation

Fritz said the doctor is facing more then 30 criminal charges in New Jersey, and more in New York and Pennsylvania. 

After he was fired in 2017 from his last position at Drexel, Cruciani was merely forced to register as a sex offender and surrender his medical license in a plea deal that year. 

In 2018, Cruciani was released on $1million bail for criminal charges against him in New York, and has yet to reappear in court, in part due to COVID-related postponements.  

One of the plaintiffs in the latest suit, Tanisha Johnson, told the New York Times on Monday how she began seeing Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York for her repeated migraines. 

She said Cruciani overprescribed her a heavy dose of 1,300 pain pills per month, and then began to exhibit inappropriate behavior. 

Over the course of several months he allegedly went from putting an arm around her during his first consultation, to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex, according to the suit.

When she attempted to refuse, Cruciani threatened to withhold the cocktail of medications that she had become dependent on. 

'The first week of opioid withdrawal is excruciatingly painful,' she told The Times.

On one occasion in 2010 or 2011, according to the lawsuit, a nurse at Beth Israel walked into the room when Johnson was in  Cruciani's office and his penis was exposed.

Yet, Cruciani was never reported to the New York Board for Professional Medical Conduct.  

Another patient, Nella Vince (pictured), reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the New York Times

Another patient, Nella Vince (pictured), reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the New York Times

 The lawsuit states that multiple patients across the hospitals he worked told nurses that they had been sexually assaulted.

Several patients said they repeatedly asked nurses or other staff members to stay in the room with them during consultations, but the requests were usually turned down.

 One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,'

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