Stephanie Mateer’s decision to speak out about her experience with Utah OB-GYN Dr. David Broadbent led to a flood of responses from other women. She’s now one of more than 90 former Broadbent patients who joined a lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.
But their case was dismissed — because in Utah, when medical professionals are accused of assault, the civil legal system sees it as medical malpractice. Victims in medical cases have less time to sue and face caps on monetary damages.
The women are appealing to the Utah Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear their arguments. And Utah lawmakers are considering whether to change the law that led to the dismissal of their case. [Read more: 94 Women Allege a Utah Doctor Sexually Assaulted Them. Here’s Why a Judge Threw Out Their Case.]
See Mateer describe her experience and why the women are still fighting for their day in court in “Stephanie’s Story: Suing Her OBGYN For Alleged Sexual Assault in Utah.”
The video, by videographer Bethany Baker and reporter Jessica Miller with photos and additional cinematography from Leah Hogsten, was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with The Salt Lake Tribune. The senior producer was Lisa Riordan Seville and the executive producer was Almudena Toral, both from ProPublica.
Broadbent’s attorney, Chris Nelson, declined an interview request but wrote in an email: “We believe that the allegations against Dr. Broadbent are without merit and will present our case in court. Given that this is an active legal matter, we will not be sharing any details outside the courtroom.”