Civil suit filed against hospital in sexual assault case

Carson-Tahoe Hospital has been named as the defendant in a lawsuit brought against it by the alleged sexual assault victims of former nurse Jason Laurie.

According to a complaint filed Tuesday in Carson City's First Judicial District Court, five women and one man claim the hospital is civilly liable for a series of alleged druggings and sexual assaults they say happened at the hands of Laurie, a former emergency room nurse at the hospital.

Laurie, 29, was arrested Feb. 14 after a woman reported he raped her while she was unconscious in the observation ward Feb. 13.

After his arrest, more women came forward claiming that they too were fondled or sexually assaulted by Laurie.

A criminal complaint charges Laurie in the assault and drugging of seven women.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of open and gross lewdness June 10.

A trial is set for March 8 for the remaining four felony counts of administering a controlled substance to aid in the commission of violence, and five gross misdemeanor counts of open and gross lewdness. Laurie is free on $10,000 bail.

The lawsuit claims the hospital failed to ensure the safety of its patients; carry out timely pharmaceutical review of all medications dispensed; ensure that medications were administered as ordered; adequately account for and control the use of controlled medications; protect the physical, emotional and psychological safety of "Jane Does" 1 through 5; thoroughly investigate allegations; and discover the sexual assaults were occurring.

"Carson-Tahoe negligently breached the standard of care required of hospitals in numerous ways," the document charges. "As a direct and proximate result ... Jane Does 1 though 5 have each suffered severe emotional distress that will continue for an indefinite period of time.

"Laurie pleaded guilty to several crimes relating to the assaults on some of the Jane Doe plaintiffs and said convictions are conclusive evidence of all facts necessary to impose civil liability on Carson-Tahoe Hospital."

The husband of one of the victims is also a plaintiff, claiming the assault on his wife has affected their marital relationship.

The lawsuit asks for general damages in excess of $10,000, punitive damages, payment of any medical expenses and loss of work, and attorney's fees.

Kelley Keiper of the Minden law firm of Brooke, Shaw, Zumpft, an attorney for three of the defendants, declined to comment, as did Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

Carson City Chief Criminal Prosecutor Anne Langer, who is trying the criminal case against Laurie, also declined to comment.

"I can't speak on a pending case," she said Wednesday.