An Oregon Health & Science University anesthesiology resident who’s facing a lawsuit alleging sexual battery off campus has been put on leave.
It’s not clear when he was asked to stay away from work or why he was put on leave. An OHSU spokeswoman would only confirm that Dr. Andrew Davoodian is on administrative leave but declined to say whether he is being paid.
Davoodian is facing a $2 million lawsuit that accuses him of sexual battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The plaintiff, 33-year-old Crystal Rivera, met Davoodian on a dating app in 2018 and the two went for a walk near his apartment in Southwest Portland, says the suit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. It alleges that he tricked her into going into his apartment, locked the door and pinned her down, aggressively kissing her and fondling her breasts while she pleaded with him to stop. At one point, she feared for her life, the suit says.
Davoodian responded with a counter $2 million suit that says they engaged in consensual sexual contact. He accused her of civil extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress. https://www.thelundreport.org/content/ohsu-anesthesiology-resident-counter-sues-over-sexual-battery-complaint
OHSU declined to respond to questions about the complaints, saying that it was not involved.
Davoodian’s administrative leave comes amid a workplace investigation by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder through Holder’s law firm Covington and Burling. The university is paying Holder $2,065 an hour to look into accusations that OHSU has buried sexual harassment and other complaints while fostering an environment that protects abusers.
At least three women have sued OHSU alleging gender bias in recent years. The latest suit by a former female employee was filed at the end of February in U.S. District Court in Portland. It accused a former colleague of Davoodian, former anesthesiology resident, Dr. Jason Campbell, of sexual battery. It said he harassed the victim with pornographic text messages and photos and cornered her in a room at the Portland Veterans Affairs hospital where she now works, pushing her into a desk with his erection.
OHSU and Campbell settled the $45 million suit last month with a payment to the victim of $585,000 and an agreement that wiped away most of the allegations against them. OHSU publicly apologized to the victim and promised sweeping change.
The settlement does not clear OHSU of the fallout: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is looking into allegations detailed in the original complaint.
If that investigation finds wrongdoing, the council could issue a warning, put OHSU or its anesthesiology program on probation or withdraw accreditation from one or both, a move that would essentially end the program.
It’s not clear when the Holder investigation will be finished. No timeline was set in the agreement between the law firm and OHSU.
A number of people have told The Lund Report that they won’t talk to investigators for fear of retribution. However, others have anonymously responded to an email from the firm with the understanding that their information will not be shared with OHSU.
You can reach Lynne Terry at [email protected] or on Twitter @LynnePDX.
