harassment and discrimination. She was reassigned, had her hours cut
and eventually was forced to resign for reporting the incident. Dr. Assil,
she claims, received mild or no punishment.
Ms. Rickey has sued Dr. Assil and Cedars-Sinai for battery, sexual
harassment and discrimination.
According to the suit, Dr. Assil grabbed her arm and said, "I know I
can do this because I know you like the abuse."
The video and the incident are disturbing, but none of this is new. It's
just that we're talking openly about it now.
The #MeToo movement has opened a global floodgate of allegations
of sexual harassment against powerful men, many of whom have
been toppled by their alleged misdeeds. But can a nurse bring down a
powerful surgeon? Does the accuser have a chance against the abus-
er? As Ms. Rickey says, "Surgeons make money. Staff cost money."
Ms. Rickey says she didn't make her story public after hearing other
women discussing having been sexually harassed by powerful men,
but it did embolden her to file her suit and confront a surgeon she
says instills fear in all those beneath him.
"I find it empowering that many women have gone through the
same or similar things, and that we are not alone," she says. "But I
came forward with what happened to me long before the #MeToo
movement began. Ironically, the Harvey Weinstein scandal happened
shortly thereafter, but my case has functioned independently and it
would have progressed the same way regardless of what has hap-
pened to others.
"I came forward to bring awareness, not just to my situation," she
adds, "but also to the abuse and harassment that takes place among
nurses everywhere."
OSM
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