A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of 15 former patients alleging sexual abuse by a well-known Orange County doctor.
Dr. John Hoefs has been affiliated with the University of California Irvine Medical Center and Hoag Memorial Hospital, as well as running his own Irvine practice, Liver Specialty Center.
“Unfortunately, he used that power that he had over patients and abused that trust, coercing numerous female patients to disrobe under the guise of medical treatment only to sexually abuse them by touching them sexually for no medically probable reason,” said Morgan Stewart, who represents the patients.
A woman who was treated by Hoefs in 2016 said his conduct was “unlike any I’ve ever experienced by a doctor.” She said she reported him to the California Medical Board in October 2017, but they took no action.
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“Doctors are among the most revered and trusted professionals in our society,” she said. “We allow them access to our bodies that we would never give to other professionals because we trust them when that trust is broken, lives can be damaged. And that's what happened to me.”
Hoefs was arrested in May and charged with seven counts of sexual battery for allegedly groping two female patients during exams. He’s currently out on bond.
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