PROVO, Utah — The number of women accusing Dr. David Broadbent, a former OB-GYN, of sexual assault during exams is doubling.
Initially, 94 women filed a lawsuit against Broadbent, but after the Utah Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s dismissal of the case last month, more women have come forward.
Attorney Adam Sorenson, who is representing the plaintiffs, revealed that the number of women involved has now exceeded 200.
These women, from different towns and backgrounds, say they are united by their similar experiences with the doctor. Their stories reveal patterns of behavior during medical exams.
Broadbent was a gynecologist whose office was near Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
“There are a lot of young girls who are maybe getting married and going to see their OB-GYN for the first time, and they don’t know what to expect,” Stephanie Mateer said. “That was my position. I was 18, maybe 19. It was around my birthday when I went. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never had another examination.”
Angela Kraniski was also a student at BYU when she went to Broadbent. She said it was after she had moved out of state that she realized what had happened.
“It was shortly after my exam with Dr. Broadbent, we moved to Dallas, and the wonderful women in my church congregation gave me referrals to female OB-GYN doctors they liked. I just remember feeling so much relief during that exam because it wasn’t painful, and they didn’t perform a rectal exam, and they used gloves,” Kraniski said. “They actually found signs of an STD. And I was a virgin, churchgoing, temple-attending BYU student. So, because he didn’t use gloves, I got an STD. Then in later years, as I went I exclusively saw female midwives and OB-GYN doctors over the next decade.”
Mateer recalled how bad the examination was.
“I remember I felt violated,” she said. “I felt like that was so wrong, and it felt so off to me.”
While multiple women have talked to media before, this is the first time Kraniski is speaking up.
“I am so grateful to the women who are the original 94,” she said.
In 2022, the lawsuit filed by 94 women was dismissed, with the judge suggesting it should be a medical malpractice case. However, the recent Supreme Court ruling has allowed the case to proceed, leading to a significant increase in plaintiffs.
“The more we heard, the more accounts, and this was before there was any media about it, all of these accounts had so many similar actions that were occurring,” Sorenson said. “I think you compare it to Tyndall at USC; I think you compare it to Larry Nassar. It’s on that scale.”
Sonia McGrath, a mother and alleged victim, said she hopes this can be an important reminder to parents.
“Educate your own children. I have a 15-year-old daughter at home who will go to an OB-GYN and have exams,” she said. “I want her to understand that this can really happen to anyone. You have to get educated enough to know what you get into in one of these visits, and what to expect.”
Content from The National Desk is provided by Sinclair, the parent company of FOX45 News.
