Dr Robert Goodman is an internal medicine doctor in Boro park at 1523 45th St, Brooklyn, NY 11219. He also has admitting privileges at Maimonides Hospital. He has been operating as a doctor in the community for decades.

**Plaintiff 1**

Plaintiff 1 moved to Boro Park in 2000 with her 4 kids following her divorce. In 2005, at the age of 34, she was suffering from a sore throat and cold symptoms, and needed to see a doctor. Plaintiff 1’s friend recommended Doctor Goodman, and accompanied her to her first appointment with him. According to the complaint, Plaintiff 1 reports that this initial appointment was entirely straightforward.

According to the complaint, when Plaintiff 1 returned for a follow up appointment alone, Goodman entered the examination room and locked the door behind him. He then allegedly began rubbing her arm while talking to her, then moving his hand to her upper arm, then over her breasts, which he then began to grope. Plaintiff 1 states that she was shocked, and got up, left the room, and never returned.

Plaintiff 1 states that she went back to her job at another doctor – one who regularly referred to Goodman – in a daze, and told some of her coworkers what had happened to her there. Plaintiff 1 states in the complaint that her coworkers were hardly surprised, telling her that everyone knows Goodman gropes women.

Later that day, Plaintiff 1 alleges that she told another trusted person what happened. That person told her that Dr. Goodman had groped her breasts as well, and had once asked her if she worked out frequently because she had “really nice breasts.”

Unable to sit idly by while Goodman allegedly groped his way through all of his patients, Plaintiff 1 alleges that she reported him to Maimonides Hospital, where he had (and still has) admitting privileges. According to the complaint, she was told by Maimonides’ administration that Goodman wasn’t an employee, and she was left with the distinct impression that they wouldn’t do anything about these allegations.

The complaint further alleges that while Maimonides may have claimed Goodman wasn’t an employee, they listed him on his website and allowed patients to schedule time with him through their website. The complaint also alleges that Maimonides had a duty to report any allegations of abuse they received about him to the medical board, and failed to do so.

In June of 2018, fed up with the community’s inaction on this apparent open secret about Dr Goodman, Plaintiff 1 posted an account of her abuse by Goodman on Facebook. Plaintiff 1 states that in response dozens of women contacted her with their experiences of being abused and harassed by Goodman, with a handful more leaving comments with their experiences in response to her post. According to the complaint, following this post, the friend who recommended Goodman to Plaintiff 1 told her that she had accompanied her to the first appointment because she had known Goodman’s reputation, and came along to deter him from abusing Plaintiff 1.

Following this public disclosure, her then state assembly member, Dov Hikind, contacted her and asked if she would attend a press conference with him about this issue. Plaintiff 1 alleges that when the two of them spoke, he told her that he had heard such allegations about Goodman over the years, and that he had even heard details from a former physician’s assistant who had worked for goodman, including that this PA had once found a pair of women’s underwear on the floor of Goodman’s office.

Around that same time, according to the complaint, Hikind posted on twitter that a “Well-known doctor in our community [is] being investigated for sexual abuse. Thanks to many women who are cooperating… Sadly, one changed her mind after checking with [a] local rabbi….”

According to the complaint, nothing came of Hikind’s “investigation”. It changed nothing, and in fact, Plaintiff 1 states that it lulled her into a false sense of security that someome was finally going to do something. At the time the Brooklyn DA had been investigating another complaint against Goodman as a result of Plaintiff 1’s post, and none of this information seems to have been taken into consideration. The PA was never produced by Hikind to give testimony in that investigation.

**Plaintiff 2*

Plaintiff 2 grew up in Boro Park. When she was 21 years old, she scheduled an appointment with Goodman for a check up with the goal of potentially switching to his care from her pediatrician. According to the complaint, her first appointment, a standard wellness check, passed without incident. Her next appointment, however, according to the complaint, was for a sore throat.

The complaint alleges that when Goodman saw she was nervous, he sat down next to her and reassured her that she was safe, and had nothing to worry about. He then allegedly leaned in close to her breathing heavily, placed the stethoscope on her chest, and told her she was beautiful, which made Plaintiff 2 very uncomfortable.

According to the complaint, goodman then raised his hands to her chest and started groping her breasts for one minute before stepping back, all the while Plaintiff 2 states that she felt paralyzed, that she was baffled and frightened, and didn’t know what to do.

Plaintiff 2 alleges that he didn’t examine her throat at all. She states that she left his office and never returned, and told a friend of hers everything that had happened.

Over the years, in responses to social media posts, in reviews on his Google page, and various medical directories, people have posted their experiences with Goodman. The complaint cites a few:

One woman wrote that Dr. Goodman made an inappropriate sexual comment to her.

Another woman wrote that her divorced friend visited Dr. Goodman and he hit on her, made inappropriate comments, and continued to call her for days after the appointment.

One woman commented that when she visited Dr. Goodman because she believed she had broken a rib, upon lifting up her shirt, he commented “wow… you’re so cute! And then made other disgustingly inappropriate comments.” She wrote, “I went running so fast out of that office….”

Another woman wrote that Dr. Goodman’s abuse is an “open secret.”

Another woman wrote, “I personally know someone who went to him and concurs with [Plaintiff 1’s] accusation.”

Another woman wrote: “interesting to hear, thought I was the only one. He started sending me really weird very sexually suggestive messages on fb out of the blue….He definitely has the characteristics of a predator and women should be warned.”

Approximately one month ago, a person left a Google review for Dr. Goodman stating: “Women be aware that dr goodman may touch you in inappropriate places while examining you. React quickly. Call him out on it. Push his hand away. Run.”

On December 12, 2018, a former patient commented on vitals.com that Dr. Goodman is a “Serial groper” and an “Unprofessional, unethical, creep.”

On December 23, 2018, a former patient commented on vitals.com that Dr. Goodman is “Seriously perverted” and that their “Personal experience was traumatic.”

This lawsuit has been filed as a class action. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted by Dr Robert Goodman, please either reach out to ZAAKAH at 888-492-2524, or info@zaakah.org to be connected with the attorneys in this case.

The Adult Survivors Act window closes on November 23rd. However, if this class action is certified by the court, people who were harmed by Goodman will be able to join the case even after the window closes. To avoid having to worry about whether or not the case is certified, please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to pursue justice against Dr. Robert Goodman.

Link to full complaint:
https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=URy5q3vf/Fvylz0UFkDCwg==