RICHMOND, Va. – The jury in the Cumberland Hospital civil trial heard from the mother of one of the three plaintiffs in a videotaped deposition Monday.
Forty-six former patients are suing the New Kent facility and its former medical director for $930 million.
The patients in this first trial, claim former medical director Dr. Davidow inappropriately touched them during femoral pulse exams.
AE’s (as the court is identifying by her initials) mom said her daughter had been a sweet, sensitive and brave child but that she became “explosive” after she was gang raped at the age of 12. In prior testimony, it was reported that she had been assaulted by a group of boys outside a library in Athens, Georgia.
AG’s mom broke down when she said, “My world fell apart” when she found out “her baby girl was raped.”
Attorneys for the defendants asked if a police report had been filed after the alleged rape, and her mom testified no report was filed but that they may have called police. She said her daughter did not know the suspects at the time, but years later that AE said she did know one of them, but by then too much time had passed to file a report.
She said after that, AE developed an eating disorder and began to self harm. She had been in and out of at least five hospitals and then referred to Cumberland Hospital.
AE’s mom said she “seemed really off” after her 2016 admissions exam with Davidow at Cumberland Hospital but she figured that AE was just anxious about her stay there and she was preoccupied with all the paperwork.
AE’s mom testified she recalled a phone call she received from a risk manager at Cumberland and she remembers “the fella being assertive” on the phone and was assured everything is fine. She said, “The gentleman was kind of overpowering. Nothing to see here folks,” and she explained that she felt her daughter was not going to speak up on the phone.
AE’s mom is referring to a call former risk manager Matthew Wiggins made to the parents of patients, two who are plaintiffs in this case who complained that Davidow inappropriately touched them during exams. Wiggins taped that conversation without the girls knowing.
Former intern William Hollingsworth testified the allegations came out when the girls discussed Davidow’s “magical touch” to their intimate parts while checking their pulse.
They advised the then William and Mary graduate student would also check their pulse under their breasts and play with their hair during the physical twirling it around his finger.
It was documented in an April 2017 police report when Davidow was under investigation for inappropriately touching five female patients. That probe ultimately determined those allegations were unfounded. The jury also heard from ECU nephrology nurse Dana Smith via deposition.
Smith referred plaintiff HB to Cumberland and testified HB was “sweet” with type 1 diabetes, a lifelong disease.
Smith said she understood Cumberland took patients with chronic medical conditions and mental health conditions and could get treatment in one place. She testified this was our last resort.
The jury returns Tuesday at 10 am.
Davidow was found not guilty of felony sex abuse charges involving two other former Cumberland patients in New Kent county back in April.
CBS 6 investigative reporter Laura French has been covering this case for the last five years. She’s in the courtroom for the trial that’s expected to wrap up Friday.
For live updates follow her on X @lfrenchnews.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
