Michael Morgan couldn’t keep his secrets to himself.
The male nurse, according to a recently filed lawsuit, gave a startling confession to his two Jehovah’s Witness pastors: he’d taken advantage of female patients by removing their bras and fondling their breasts when they were still under sedation. The pastors then relayed the news to authorities who eventually placed Morgan under arrest, the lawsuit said.
The unusual developments of the still-pending criminal case against the 34-year-old Adairsville man are laid out in a suit recently filed by one of Morgan’s alleged victims. It names Morgan, Northern Crescent Endoscopy and its parent company, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates, as defendants. The suit seeks unspecified damages for the woman’s mental pain and distress as well as punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
The 28-year-old Atlanta woman “was subjected to unwanted groping by and physical contact with Morgan while she was sedated, unconscious and unable to consent or fight Morgan off,” the suit said.
When she learned about the alleged assault from police, the woman became traumatized, the suit said. It destroyed her ability to trust others and forced her to take unpaid leave from work. She also stopped living independently and moved back in with her parents. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not disclose the names of sexual assault victims.
“This is a problem that can only be avoided with good, thorough supervision and oversight,” said David Walbert, one of the woman’s attorneys. “Where that isn’t done, this kind of abuse is going to happen to women, just as it did here.”
Morgan was entrusted with the care of patients unable to fend for themselves, the lawsuit said. “As a result of the corporate defendants’ negligence, Morgan was granted effectively unsupervised access to sedated and vulnerable female patients.”
In a statement, Atlanta Gastroenterology said it takes patient safety “very seriously” and is concerned about the allegations in the lawsuit.
“We conduct background checks as part of our hiring process, we have procedures in place to maintain a safe environment for our patients, visitors and staff, and we have fully cooperated with law enforcement in their investigation,” the company said. “We cannot comment on any specific case or pending litigation, but believe that the allegations raised against the practice are without merit.”
The company bills itself as having one of the largest practices in the country dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of digestive and liver diseases. It is expected to argue in court that it should not be found liable for the conduct of a wayward employee whose acts were not foreseeable.
The case unfolded in May 2017 when two of Morgan’s pastors approached Sandy Springs police and shared Morgan’s admissions, the lawsuit said. Morgan then gave his own confession to Sandy Spring police, confirming what he’d told the pastors and giving even more information, the suit said.
For example, Morgan told police he had injected one female patient with the sedative propofol, which he’d retrieved from a discarded vial, so he could fondle her breasts while she was sedated, the suit said.
Morgan was subsequently arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two female patients. He was granted bond and is now awaiting trial. Morgan had been a nurse for about eight years.
“I can confirm that Mr. Morgan in fact gave a statement to law enforcement authorities after consultation with his pastors,” said Morgan’s attorney, Anthony Perrotta of Cartersville. “I can’t confirm or discuss the content of those statements.”
The alleged assault against the Atlanta woman occurred Dec. 30, 2016, when she checked in to Northern Crescent Endoscopy in Sandy Springs for a colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal scan, the lawsuit said. She’d been referred there after experiencing abdominal pain and being diagnosed with a kidney infection.
After undergoing the medical procedures, the woman was transferred to a recovery room where she was groped by Morgan, the lawsuit said.
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