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Women sue doctor in civil court for allegedly sexually assaulting them during emergency exams • Daily Montanan [1]
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Date: 2024-08-14
A little more than a month after a Missoula emergency room physician appeared in state district court on seven counts of sexual assault, at least two of the victims are suing Dr. Tyler Hurst in civil court.
The case was filed in Missoula County on Wednesday morning and names two victims, a Jane Doe, but also Angela Mock, who said that she wants her name to be public in order to share her story about what she said happened when she went to the emergency room of Community Medical Center in Missoula.
Normally, the Daily Montanan does not use the name of victims of sexual assault in stories even if they are available to help shield their privacy.
Last month, Missoula County prosecutors charged Hurst with four counts of sexual assault without consent and three counts of sexual assault — all felony charges that could bring a mandatory minimum of more than 85 years to life, according to Missoula television station KPAX.
Hurst pleaded not guilty to all charges.
When contacted about the civil suit on Wednesday, Megan Condra, the director of community relations for Community Medical Center, released the following statement:
“When Community Medical Center was notified earlier this year of a patient allegation regarding Dr. Tyler Hurst, an independent physician, we immediately removed Dr. Hurst from the facility. We have zero tolerance for inappropriate conduct towards our patients. To the extent the allegations against Dr. Hurst are true, he took advantage of the trust placed in him by our patients, our staff members and our community. When a predator evades policies and procedures and takes advantage of the access they gain in healthcare settings, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We will be fully cooperating with those efforts, and our team continues to work closely with local law enforcement and relevant agencies to ensure full accountability. “These alleged actions of Dr. Hurst do not reflect the great care and patient experience that our team provides every day. We are proud to serve our fellow Missoulians and will continue to put our patients first in all that we do.”
While Hurst faces a lengthy jail sentence and fines of more than $200,000 if convicted in the criminal case by prosecutors, the case filed by the victims is a civil case in which a trial could result in the women receiving assets of the doctor.
Missoula County officials say there are at least 15 victims of Hurst. A check of the Montana Board of Medical Examiners shows that he is no longer an active physician.
The two victims who have brought suit against Hurst reported incidents separated by nearly two years.
Mock had come to the emergency department in early December 2022 complaining of uterine pain.
Hurst and a nurse came in to assess Mock, and she said that during that assessment, Hurst used his fingers to penetrate her vagina, according to the court documents. When she complained of pain, the nurse touched his arm and he stopped.
But, shortly after the incident and administering drugs for the pain, Mock said Hurst returned, this time without a nurse, and began touch her genitals again. Finally, Hurst is accused of pulling down his pants, having sexual intercourse with Mock despite her cries of pain, and eventually having Hurst finish, telling her that no one would believe her because she “was just an Indian; no one will believe you.”
Then, two years later, near New Year’s Day 2024, Hurst was examining Jane Doe, who was complaining of kidney pain in her upper back. However, according to court records, Hurst’s exam kept on getting lower and lower on her abdomen, finally culminating in him removing her underwear and attempting to massage her genitals, under the pretense of providing pain relief.
When she insisted that his hands were nowhere near the pain, she told Hurst he was hurting her and began to pull her pants back up, according to court documents. However, Hurst is reported to have pulled her pants down again and starting to touch her buttocks and started inserting his fingers forcefully into her vagina.
“(She) forcefully pushed Hurst off her and told him to stop the examination. Hurst apologized for hurting her,” the court case said. “At this time, Hurst had a noticeable erection and began touching himself in an attempt to push the erection down. Hurst stated, ‘I’m so sorry, I just got too excited. I’m so embarrassed that went too far.’”
Several television stations in Missoula reported that during the criminal court hearing, Hurst appeared remotely from a sexual addiction treatment center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
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