A victim of sexual assault at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis has filed a lawsuit against the organization. Miguel Rodela was formally charged on June 21st with the sexual assault of 3 patients.
The lawsuit, filed by Hutton & Hutton Law Firm on behalf of the victim, alleges that on June 15th, 2023, 28-year-old Rodela entered the hospital just after midnight by following an employee through the entrance. He then made his way into the patient’s room. The suit claims that video evidence shows that Rodela was in the room for over 20 minutes. The civil lawsuit was filed against Ascension Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, Inc., which operates the St. Francis location where the crime took place.
The suit also alleges that while in the patient’s room, Rodela’s actions were interrupted by a nurse. When questioned by the nurse, Rodela claimed to be a nursing student. The nurse then left Rodela alone again in the room with the patient, missing a clear opportunity to intervene. The suit also brings attention to Rodela’s two other victims that same night, where he once again falsely claimed to hospital staff that that he was a staff member or family.
The lawsuit argues that the hospital’s failure to prevent these incidents demonstrates a lack of adequate security measures and proper monitoring of the premises and patients.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of a one-day strike by unionized nurses at the hospital, who identified safety as their primary concern; highlighting an ongoing trend of serious, preventable patient and employee safety issues that they claim hospital management is not addressing.
Rodela remains in jail on a $250,000 bond. He’s due back in court on July 20th.
