Physician’s Assistant Awarded $168 Million In Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Ani Chopourian filed at least 18 complaints of sexual harassment during her two years of work at Sacramento’s Mercy General Hospital. Those complaints were not taken seriously by the hospital’s administrators but they were by a jury of her peers who awarded Ani $168 million on Friday.

Among her complaints was a surgeon who stabbed her with a needle and then broke the ribs of an anesthetized heart patient in a fit of rage and another surgeon who would greet her each morning by slapping her on the butt and proclaim “I’m horny.” Another surgeon reportedly called her the “stupid chick” in the operating room and then made fun of her Armenian heritage, going so far as to ask if she had joined Al Qaeda.

During the case executives for Mercy General attempted to portray Chopourian as an unprofessional worker who’s own misconduct led to her firing and a refusal by the hospital to provide her with unemployment benefits.

The $168 million award for damages is the largest single plaintiff award in U.S. history for a sexual harassment case. Speaking after the award was handed down Chopourian’s attorney Lawrance Bohm proclaimed:

“They were just shocked by the whole workplace environment.”

Having worked at various other hospitals over the years Ani said in her testimony:

“The environment at Mercy General, the sexually inappropriate conduct and the patient care issues being ignored, the bullying and intimidation and retaliation —– I have never seen an environment so hostile and pervasive.”

The hospitals defense was hurt by a litany of current and former complains which swayed the jury to believe that the hospital was not working in its employees best interests.

Ani Chopourian continued in her statement:

“Cardiac surgery brings in the most money for any hospital facility, which is why they are willing to turn a blind eye to illegal and inappropriate behavior. We had four very strong witnesses who were frightened to speak out but did so because they felt it was important that someone put a stop to this.”

It’s likely that the plaintiffs $125 million in punitive damages and $42.7 million for lost wages and mental anguish will be reduced on appeal, however the plaintiff’s lawyer is confident that the actual guilty verdict will stand up in appelate court.

Ani earned her degree from the Yale School of Medicine in 1999.

Do you think the Catholic hospital deserved such a large penalty based on various reports of abuse by current and former employees?