CHARLESTON -- Two more women have filed lawsuits claiming a doctor sexually abused them.
Cheryl Bragg of Beckley and and Elisha Riffe filed their lawsuits last month in Kanawha Circuit Court against John Pellegrini D.O., Hope Clinic, The ERX Group, PMP Services and John Doe.
In her Feb. 19 complaint, Bragg explains she sought medical attention at Hope Clinic in Beckley. She ended up seeing Pellegrini, an employee of the other named defendants, according to her filing.
Elisha Riffe filed her complaint Feb. 21.
In both suits, the women say that while Pellegrini was performing an examination on them, he sexually abused them. Pellegrini allegedly rubbed his erect penis through his clothing, against their body and either ejaculated or attempted to ejaculate.
The women are suing Pellegrini for his purported conduct as well as the other defendants for employing Pellegrini without making a reasonable inquiry into his background.
Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Pellegrini since 2010 involving claims that he sexually abused and harassed patients. In November 2012, the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine suspended Pellegrini’s license.
In 2001, Pellegrini was the subject of a medical malpractice lawsuit filed in federal court. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that Pellegrini negligently performed a hysterectomy on the plaintiff. In July 2010, 20 women filed lawsuits in Wayne County alleging that Pellegrini sexually abused and harassed them while he worked as a physician at the Lakin Correction Center. In 2011, another suit was filed against Pellegrini. And in 2013, another was filed against him.
The 2012 WVBOM order found probable cause to believe that Pellegrini engaged in unprofessional and unethical conduct. The Board also issued a Statement of Charges that alleged Pellegrini committed repeated acts of an unethical exercise of influence within a doctor-patient relationship for the purpose of engaging a patient in sexual activity.
The Board also found that Pellegrini was likely to continue his practices of unethical and inappropriate behavior unless it took immediate action. The Board then suspended Pellegrini’s medical license based on a finding that Pellegrini’s continued practice of medicine and surgery would constitute an immediate danger to the public.
In 2013, at least one lawsuit was filed against Pellegrini, Hope Clinic and other entities involving allegations that Pellegrini sexually abused, sexual harassed his patients and subjected them to other inappropriate conduct. Other suits have been filed earlier this year in Raleigh Circuit Court.
The women are seeking an undisclosed amount in damages. She is being represented by attorneys Christopher J. Heavens and James D. McQueen Jr.
Kanawha Circuit Court Case No. 14-C-340 (Bragg) and 14-C-355 (Riffe)