A former patient of a Las Vegas OB-GYN sued him Wednesday alleging sexual assault and battery, court records show.
Nicolette Matthews claims that Dr. George Chambers, who is also the focus of an investigation by the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners, intentionally and negligently inflicted emotional distress on her during an appointment in 2021, according to the case filed in U.S. District Court. Clark County.
Earlier this year, the medical board held an administrative hearing on the misconduct complaints of three other former patients. Matthews filed a separate complaint with the board last year that remains under investigation.
Chambers, who has been licensed in Nevada for 20 years without prior discipline, could not be reached for comment late Wednesday. He previously denied all the accusations against him.
Chambers began treating Matthews in about 2010 and delivered her baby in 2019, according to the lawsuit. The doctor “displayed unusual personality,” including “initiating discussions about her own sexual preferences, history, and experiences,” the lawsuit says.
After Chambers delivered their baby boy, Matthews suffered from a loss of libido, which led her to seek treatment from Chambers. During an appointment in late August or early September 2021, Chambers told the patient that he would try to make her orgasm and he entered her with his fingers, according to her lawsuit.
“Plaintiff was confused by this statement, unsure of what Chambers intended to do, but confident in his authority as a physician,” the lawsuit states. She undressed and lying on an examination table, with no witnesses present, she “froze with terror.”
As he proceeded, “the plaintiff told Chambers that she did not like digital penetration and did not want it to continue,” though he continued for another minute, the lawsuit claims.
As a result, Matthews “has suffered great physical and mental pain and anxiety.”
Refuted accusations
In an email last year, Chambers wrote that Matthews’ accusation was “salacious” but not based on fact.
“An evaluation of a patient with anorgasmia includes taking a complete medical/sexual/psychological/drug history, performing an escorted pelvic exam, discussing the findings and plan of care, ordering a hormonal panel and imaging studies if necessary, followed by a follow-up appointment to review and discuss the results and initiation of treatment if desired by the patient,” he wrote.
In September 2021, a medical board investigative committee charged Chambers with sexual misconduct, alleging that she conducted an inappropriate examination on a patient that resulted in pain and humiliation, and offered another $2,000 each to pose nude. to advertise their specialty of cosmetic gynecologic surgery.
“My name has been sullied, my professional reputation tarnished, my life turned upside down,” he declared during the administrative proceeding in June. The hearing officer is expected to make recommendations to the board later this month.
Two of the patients in the complaint heard by the board spoke to the Review-Journal last year, as did Matthews, who, at his request, is referred to in the report only by a nickname.
Las Vegas police investigated complaints from Matthews and one of the other patients, but determined there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges, according to documents obtained through public records requests.
In an interview on Wednesday, Matthews said her lawyers gave her the option to name herself “Jane Doe” in her lawsuit, “but right now, let’s go ahead.”
“I felt like it was just time, and now that we are filing a lawsuit, I felt like I have more power,” the 35-year-old said.
