More than 100 women have accused Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other medical practices of deliberately covering up allegations of sexual abuse and medical misconduct by him and Dr. Barry J. Block, an obstetrician-gynecologist. He filed a new lawsuit against the facility where he worked.
The 107 new plaintiffs join 60 other former patients who accused Bullock in lawsuits last year of inappropriate and medically wrongful conduct that sometimes led to long-lasting physical complications.
Block did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Bullock, 74, has previously denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The longtime obstetrician-gynecologist was a member of the Cedars-Sinai Physician Network until 2018 and retained clinical privileges there until mid-2024.
Cedars-Sinai “received numerous complaints regarding (his) sexually exploitative and abusive behavior dating back decades,” the complaint alleges. Nevertheless, “Brock was allowed to continue harming, exploiting, and abusing patients under the guise of medical care at Cedars-Sinai from 1979 until August 2024,” the complaint states.
A spokesperson for Cedars-Sinai said, “The alleged conduct of Dr. Barry Bullock is contrary to Cedars-Sinai’s core values and the trust we strive to earn with our patients every day.” ” he said.
“Dr. Block is no longer eligible to practice medicine at Cedars-Sinai and we have reported this matter to the California Medical Board,” the spokesperson said.
Cedars-Sinai announced in July that it had suspended Mr. Bullock’s hospital privileges after receiving “complaints of complaints” from former patients. His hospital privileges were terminated several months later.
In the latest lawsuit, filed Dec. 27 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, former patients accuse Bullock of needlessly touching their breasts and genitals under the guise of a legitimate medical exam.
More than a dozen women say in their lawsuits that Bullock fondled their clitoris during exams and procedures. The three women alleged that Bullock used the testing equipment in an inappropriate and violating manner, sometimes making lewd comments while thrusting the testing equipment into their bodies.
Some said she performed vaginal exams without gloves, which the Federation of State Medical Boards cited as an example of sexual impropriety.
According to the complaint, a woman who examined Bullock once in 2015 when his primary care physician was not available asked why he wasn’t wearing gloves. Bullock is said to have responded, “Your pussy is a lot dirtier than my hands.”
The former patients allege in the lawsuit that Bullock made frequent comments about their bodies and sexual desires during careful physical exams, making them feel extremely uncomfortable. When one patient revealed she was a lesbian during an examination, Block responded, “Well, you can change that,” according to the lawsuit.
Another woman said she noticed a photo of herself as a model displayed on a computer in the exam room during her appointment. “I’ve been looking at your model photos and look at this. I can see you[your vulva]even through your clothes,” Bullock allegedly told her, using a vulgar term to refer to female genitalia. are.
Multiple patients say in their lawsuits that Bullock made sexually inappropriate comments and dismissed complaints of pain and medical concerns. When the patient told her the pap smear was causing her pain, Bullock commented on her sexual history and replied, “You’ll like it,” according to the complaint.
Some said Bullock’s care led to lingering physical complications.
One woman said Bullock delivered a baby in 2005 as a doctor on duty at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and proceeded to suture the patient’s perineum after birth, a procedure that left the patient in a “virgin-like state.” She reportedly told her husband that she was deaf. Twenty years later, women still find sex painful because of the stitches, the lawsuit alleges. Four other plaintiffs also reported persistent pain as a result of postpartum sutures that Block inserted after giving birth.
Several patients allege in their complaints that they reported their discomfort to administrative staff, nurses and other doctors and received responses that suggested his actions were known to staff. .
The complaint alleges that a woman who examined Bullock between 2002 and 2012 “told nurses and other doctors that his behavior was rough and rude,” and that “she told them, ‘That’s just him,’ and ‘Stop it.’ It is written, “I was killed.” Wear it a lot. ”
Another woman told a labor and delivery nurse that Bullock called her a vulgar name during a visit, according to the lawsuit.
The nurse responded that she was “not surprised and implied that Bullock had a reputation for making unflattering comments,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also names Beverly Hills Obstetrics and Gynecology and Rodeo Drive Women’s Health Center, where Bullock worked after leaving the Cedars-Sinai physician network. Both men did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.
At the time Cedars suspended Mr. Bullock’s privileges, a spokesperson for the medical center said that due to privacy laws, it would not be able to confirm any patient complaints or disciplinary actions taken against Mr. Bullock until 2024. Said it was prohibited.
Bullock, who retired from his medical practice in August, previously said he waived his privileges without conducting a “hearing as to the truth or falsity” of the allegations under investigation.
Plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits against Bullock so far have been represented by Anthony T. DiPietro, who also represents patients of convicted sex offender and former Columbia University obstetrician-gynecologist Robert Hadden. and a defense team that includes Mike Arias, who, like DiPietro, is also representing the patient. George Tyndall, former University of Southern California gynecologist.
They claim that Cedars-Sinai has made clear to plaintiffs and the public that Mr. Bullock is a known serial predator who has sexually exploited and abused hundreds if not thousands of people. He recently ‘retired’ so that he could continue to hide from the public.” of an unsuspecting female patient. ”