This story below discusses instances of sexual violence and may be upsetting for some readers.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A doctor at southern Ohio’s largest medical center has been named as the suspect in another sexual assault report.
The Guardian reported on Monday that a cancer patient who was also injured in a car accident came forward saying she had been groped, touched, and assaulted by her physician during several appointments at Adena Regional Medical Center. The Guardian learned the name of the physician on Tuesday, and the doctor is no stranger to allegations.
Dr. Alok Singla was named in a separate police report earlier last month when a former employee accused the neurologist of stalking her and of sexual misconduct. The reportee told law enforcement that Singla allegedly cornered her in an office and began undressing.
“(Dr. Singla) sat down at his desk and unbuttoned his lab coat, his shirt was unbuttoned almost all the way down,” the woman told police. She would go on to claim that the doctor then said they had a lot in common and that both were “going through a divorce” and could “help each other.”
The victim went on to tell the police, according to the report, that the doctor would continue to make unwanted advances and went as far as coming from behind her and rubbing her shoulders, and taking pictures of her body. The alleged incidents, the woman said, occurred while she worked in his office from September 2021 to April 2022.
The report from Monday states that during the first appointment in July 2021, the woman’s husband was present, but he remained in the car during the second appointment in August. It was during the second appointment that the doctor allegedly placed his hand on the woman’s leg, attempted to take her hand and put it on his thigh, and touched her right breast. The woman pushed his hand away, but he apologized and scheduled another appointment, the woman reported.
Investigators say that during another appointment in October 2021, the doctor allegedly asked the woman if she was still married and then proceeded to move his chair closer to her while discussing marital issues. He invited her to meet him at his new house and attempted to touch her breast again. The woman declined and told him not to do that because she was married, the report outlines.
In a third reported incident, during a December 2021 appointment, the woman was alone with the doctor. The doctor allegedly reached for her, told her he and his wife had separated, and began rubbing the front of her neck, the report outlines. The doctor attempted to unbutton the patient’s sweater and grabbed her hand and placed it on his genitals. She threatened to scream, and he backed away, zipping his pants and buttoning his lab coat, the notes read.
The woman, who law enforcement said was emotional during the interview, expressed her desire for criminal charges to be filed.
The hospital administration has not released a statement about the allegations, and it remains to be seen how they will handle the matter. In the previous incidents, public relations officials with the health system said they do not talk about internal employment matters. As of Tuesday, Singla remains on the job at Adena.
Singla is just one of many doctors recently accused of sexual wrongdoing at the mega health system.
The Guardian reported last month on accusations against Dr. Gustavo Barrazueta. In a police report, a former employee accused Barrazueta of sending her sexually explicit text messages and grabbing her around the waist without her consent. A second report was filed by another patient against Barrazueta for similar claims.
A third doctor made headlines last month for the same. A patient reported to local law enforcement that while she was being examined by her primary care physician, Dr. Collins Okolie he sexually assaulted her.
It is important to note that the women who have come forward in recent weeks about sexual assault from several doctors at the mega health system say their claims are serious. While law enforcement continues to investigate the reports, it is worth noting that filing a false police report is a crime and that the women hold steadfast that what happened to them truly did occur.
The cases were forwarded to detectives at the Ross County Sheriff’s office.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, there are resources available: National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673