PITTSBURGH - An Allegheny County woman is suing Allegheny Health Network, owner and operator of West Penn Hospital, after a nuclear medicine technologist allegedly filmed her undressing for a medical procedure.
According to a complaint filed Feb. 1 in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Lori Hadden was a patient at the hospital undergoing treatment for melanoma. In September of 2018, she was at West Penn to undergo an intraoperative sentinel lymph node mapping, which took place in a radiology room with Guy Caley, the technologist.
Hadden allegedly was instructed by Caley to completely undress and put on a hospital gown for the procedure. The patient did as instructed, underwent the procedure, reclothed and left, the suit says.
In July of 2020, Hadden was contacted by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office with notice that she was apparently filmed in her state of undress, without her knowledge or consent, by Caley.
Police were called to the hospital in December of 2019 after an employee of West Penn found a camera in a unisex employee bathroom. Upon investigation, more cameras were found in additional bathrooms and the MRI room. The cameras had been in place for at least two years.
Caley is being charged with invasion of privacy and illegal use of communications.
Hadden is suing Caley for one count of invasion of privacy and intrusion upon seclusion, one count of breach of fiduciary duty, and one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is suing the hospital for one count of vicarious liability, one count of corporate liability and one count of negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Hadden's lawyer is Gregory Swank.