West Virginia Doctor Pleads Guilty to Assault
A West Virginia physician pleaded guilty June 23 to two counts of assault and was sentenced to a year of probation.
Kenneth C. Ramdat, MD, a physician formerly employed at the Louis A. Johnson VA Hospital, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, admitted to assaulting two hospital employees, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
Ramdat, whose admission was part of a plea agreement, reportedly touched two staff women’s breasts without permission while in isolated rooms of incapacitated patients. This occurred during an incident in August 2019 and one in October 2019 at the hospital in Harrison County.
The agreement calls for a sentence of 1 year of probation. With the guilty pleas, Ramdat faces up to 6 months in federal prison and a fine of $20,000 ― $10,000 for each count.
Ramdat, 66, will not have to register as a sex offender.
Ramdat, of Silver Spring, MD, was indicted in November 2020 on two counts of abusive sexual contact and two counts of simple assault.
One of the victims told Ramdat, “The only thing you stripped from me is my fear. I hope you feel that fear as you move on, and it motivates you to be better,” according to WVNews.
The hospital at which the assaults occurred made headlines recently for a cluster of unrelated offenses: another employee, Reta Mays, 46, admitted to killing seven persons and was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 20 years.
US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) issued a statement following Ramdat’s guilty plea, calling it “a step in the right direction to giving the women affected by his horrific actions the justice they deserve.
“The systemic negligence at the Clarksburg VAMC must be addressed and dealt with,” the statement said. “Accountability begins at the top, and I am committed to working with VA Secretary McDonough and as a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to ensure that these serious issues are addressed.”
Lindsay Kalter is a health freelance journalist who has held positions with Politico, the Boston Herald, and the American Heart Association. Aside from WebMD and Medscape, her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Boston Globe Magazine and Business Insider.
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