A third lawsuit has been filed over the accusations surrounding a Valencia chiropractor arrested on suspicion he filmed patients using the restroom, a situation with several legal issues pending.
Among the issues: The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday it’s still reviewing the evidence surrounding the case and conflicting accounts for how many victims are involved and identifiable after a camera was found in the bathroom of The Joint on McBean Parkway.
A new lawsuit was filed this week on behalf of 17 people, including four minors, whose attorneys are alleging corporate ownership engaged in a coverup, according to a statement issued Tuesday.
An investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies identified Nicholas Vanderhyde, 41, of Valencia, who worked as a chiropractor at the office, as the one who placed the camera.
Following a local Sheriff’s Station investigation, the DA’s office was presented two charges: invasion of privacy and possession of child pornography, according to LASD sources.
Court records obtained by The Signal indicated that Vanderhyde was seen placing the camera and then manipulating it in video obtained from an SCV Sheriff’s Station search warrant.
A representative for The Joint Chiropractic Management, a national chain of offices based in Arizona, said “upon learning of this incident, we acted immediately, launched our own internal investigation and have cooperated fully with law enforcement,” according to a previous statement by Margie Wojciechowski, director of public relations for The Joint.
Three lawsuits
A representative for the firm bringing the suit said the newest lawsuit was a separate legal action entirely from the previous two complaints, adding it’s not being filed as a class-action, and all the plaintiffs were patients of the office and not employees.
The initial crime report came from an employee who found the camera and contacted law enforcement, according to Detective Steve Westerfield of the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
Westerfield said he is still receiving reports from concerned residents. He added that the station has confirmed the identities of 12 separate victims through his investigation as of Wednesday.
There are now three lawsuits connected to the camera that was found.
The employee who first notified Westerfield is the one who filed the first lawsuit, according to court records, which was filed as a class-action on behalf of
A second lawsuit was filed last month by an employee who also claimed to have found the camera. The co-worker also alleged Vanderhyde repeatedly sexually harassed her.
Westerfield confirmed this week there was only one initial report regarding the illegal camera, but there were multiple follow-ups with The Joint employees.
Any filing of charges or additional counts would be filed at the DA’s office’s discretion.
The newest lawsuit, filed Wednesday, includes claims The Joint knew of problems with Vanderhyde’s practices and allowed him to “continue treating patients in his rogue fashion, including insisting on upper, inner thigh massage.”
A statement from The Joint Wednesday indicated the company could not discuss ongoing legal matters but that the safety of its patients and staff and the integrity of its services are the company‘s highest priorities.
