A chiropractor allegedly placed a hidden camera in the bathroom of a Valencia office where he worked and touched patients inappropriately, according to a lawsuit filed by several patients.
The chiropractor, a part-time employee of a practice called The Joint Chiropractor, was arrested in June and released on bail.
The lawsuit claims the small camera was mounted on a bathroom cabinet in the chiropractor's office and pointed at a toilet used by patients and employees.
An employee discovered the camera and management reported the incident to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Following the discovery, the company sent an email to patients in June, according to a screenshot of the message included in the lawsuit. The email said the camera was installed from May 6 to May 8 and may have captured images of about 20 people.
“We are deeply concerned by this situation, immediately conducted our own internal corporate investigation and have been fully cooperating with law enforcement,” The Joint Chiropractic management said in the email.
The email went on to say that a part-time employee at the Valencia clinic was arrested as part of a police investigation, but did not provide a name.
Nicholas Vanderhyde, a chiropractor at the Valencia office, was arrested June 4 on suspicion of possessing obscene material depicting a person under the age of 18, according to the complaint.
A former patient, named in the complaint as Alexandra F., said she had recently visited the chiropractor's office and that her 7-year-old daughter had used the bathroom. She asked to speak to someone at the chiropractor's office but received no response, according to the complaint.
Alexandra F. does not know if the camera captured images of her daughter or other family members.
“I remember Dr. Vanderhyde patting my children on the back and allowing them to try out some of the instruments to see how they worked,” Alexandra F. said in a statement accompanying the lawsuit. “Knowing what I know now, I am traumatized by the sickening violation committed against so many individuals and families.” [including my own] “who came to this clinic.”
The lawsuit includes 17 patients, including four minors, who claim negligence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, invasion of privacy and other allegations.
The suit alleges Vanderhyde also performed treatments that were not part of a chiropractor’s general practices, including an upper and inner thigh massage that touched a patient’s genitals. Another patient claimed Vanderhyde made sexually harassing comments about her body, according to the complaint. Other patients say they were subjected to similar treatments that constitute sexual assault, the suit says.
Patients claim that management at The Joint Chiropractic ignored Vanderhyde's behavior, including his unwanted advances and sexual harassment of female employees.
In a statement, Janna Trolia, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the Joint’s “lack of response has only heightened our clients’ fears and concerns.”
A spokesman for The Joint Chiropractic said in an email to The Times: “We are not at liberty to discuss ongoing legal matters.”
It's unclear whether Vanderhyde has legal representation. Jail records show he was arrested by deputies at the Santa Clarita sheriff's station and released on bail.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
