A neurology professor who was quietly forced to resign last year from the Yale School of Medicine has been accused of sexual harassment in a pair of new lawsuits.
The New York Times reports that Dr. Rex Mahnensmith had worked as a Yale clinic doctor for over 20 years until accusations of sexual harassment began to surface last year, ultimately prompting the school to remove Mahnensmith from the clinic and ask for his resignation. But while the university may have preferred to resolve the matter quietly, two new lawsuits have brought these accusations back into the public eye, accusing the former professor of engaging in a pattern of sexual misconduct toward at least seven of his coworkers over the past decade.
The federal lawsuits were filed on behalf of seven both former and current employees of Yale's dialysis center, among them nurses, a dietitian and a social worker. In one case dated back to 2002, the social worker claims that Dr. Mahnensmith rubbed his body against hers, but when she reported it to a supervisor, she was told to simply avoid him and accept his behavior as part of "the culture of the clinic." In another case, dated July 2013, a nurse was similarly molested by the accused.
"This has been going on for years," one of the plaintiff's lawyers tells the Times. "But staff were just told to try and work around him."
This is not the first time that litigation has been brought against the doctor on grounds of sexual harassment. Mahnensmith was previously ordered to attend sensitivity training 10 years ago after a young nephrologist accused him of sexual misconduct. While that was considered a major victory at the time, nowadays, there is increasing social and financial pressure on universities to hold both staff members and students accountable for sexual harassment.
If you have been the target of sexual harassment in the workplace, schedule an appointment with the attorneys of The Meyers Law Firm right away.