Civil lawsuits are a primary driver of change. The $190 million settlement against Johns Hopkins, the lawsuits against Northwell Health, and the class-action suit against Memorial Hermann for over $100 million force institutions to take responsibility and implement better safeguards. When an institution is sued for negligence—for failing to properly supervise employees, for not conducting background checks, or for ignoring warning signs—it incentivizes sweeping reforms at a systemic level.
This case from Long Island, NY, involved a hospital employee, Sanjai Syamaprasad, who, over nearly two years, used hidden cameras disguised as smoke detectors in bathrooms and changing rooms at Northwell Health facilities. The scope of this breach is staggering, with over 13,000 patients notified they may have been recorded. Syamaprasad pleaded guilty in 2025 to unlawful surveillance and tampering with evidence, receiving a sentence of six months in prison and five years' probation, with a requirement to register as a sex offender. Over 250 lawsuits have been filed against Northwell Health, alleging the institution failed in its duty to protect patients. gynecologist hidden camera incomplete version