Hospital Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Background Check Gap
A Florida hospital faces a negligent hiring lawsuit after a paramedic accused of sexual assault reportedly cleared screening despite a prior record.
A Cautionary Tale for Healthcare Employers
A hospital in Florida is currently facing a negligent hiring lawsuit due to claims that a proper background check was not conducted on a former paramedic accused of sexually assaulting patients. The plaintiff argues that the paramedic had been previously employed in Michigan, where he received a disciplinary suspension of his license due to similar allegations of sexual misconduct. The paramedic also reportedly had an active warrant for sexual assault charges out of Michigan at the time of his arrest in 2019. The hospital’s staff reported that they were unaware that the paramedic had ever worked in Michigan or had been previously accused of sexual assault.
Background checks, when used to screen an employment candidate, are meant to reduce risk that a hire may pose to not only an employer, but to their customers and the public. Instances such as this illustrate the importance of conducting thorough background checks on staff, especially if they work with vulnerable populations. For this case, the hospital may have avoided this lawsuit had the following components been a part of their screening process: a comprehensive nationwide criminal search, a license verification, and previous employer references.
Strengthening Your Screening Process
If your team has not reviewed your screening policies and procedures lately, contact us at sales@mycrc.com for a free assessment, or reach out to our team directly.
This post reflects the facts of the case and screening guidance as reported in April 2021, the time of original publication.
