A civil lawsuit has been filed against the employers of Johnnie Barto, the pedophile pediatrician. It has come to light that the accused posed a serious threat to patients, and yet he was allowed to continue practicing without any questions raised about his conduct.
Five former patients of Barto are seeking financial compensation from his employers. Just recently, in March, Barto was sentenced to a minimum of 79 years in prison for sexually assaulting 31 minors, many of whom were his own patients.
The lawsuits bring to light the alarming fact that Laurel Pediatrics Associates had knowledge of Barto’s misconduct for two decades. Despite recognizing the serious danger he posed to patients, they failed to prevent him from treating and molesting these vulnerable children. The clinic has not issued any response or comments regarding these allegations.
Furthermore, four Jane Does and one John Doe are seeking compensation from Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, where Barto had privileges. In a statement released by the hospital, Barto’s actions were condemned as reprehensible, highlighting that they were in no way associated with his criminal behavior.
Addressing the media at a press conference, Johnstown sex abuse lawyer Sarah Klein, a former Olympic gymnast and survivor of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, stated, “We’re just scratching the surface. There is a serious problem within the medical community here and in other places, and we are committed to driving change that ensures the safety of children.”
What is truly astonishing is that in 2000, when there was an opportunity to intervene and stop Barto, the state authorities failed to take action. Two young girls who had been molested in 1999 came forward to the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine. Shockingly, the regulators dismissed the case, deeming the allegations “incongruous to his reputation,” and allowed him to continue practicing medicine.
Dr. Barto, a well-known pediatrician in Johnstown and a respected member of the elected school board, was trusted by many. However, behind this façade of respectability, Barto used his position to exploit and harm young patients.
Despite his high standing in the community, Barto’s inappropriate actions went unnoticed for far too long. Even after his arrest in January 2018, it was revealed that he had been molesting multiple young patients without consequence – feeling invincible and empowered by his position.
The shocking civil lawsuit alleges that Barto’s colleagues at Laurel Pediatrics were aware of his misconduct. Despite being aware of the risks Barto posed to his patients, they remained silent, denied the allegations, and failed to take any action to protect these vulnerable children.
It is disturbing to note that two other health providers at Laurel Pediatrics, Dr. Elaine Confer and nurse practitioner Bradley Callihan, minimized the allegations against Barto and continue to practice at the clinic.
One particularly disturbing incident occurred in October 2016, when Barto molested a 10-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister at Laurel Pediatrics. The children’s mother confronted Dr. Confer, their regular pediatrician, who acknowledged being informed of Barto’s inappropriate conduct with children in the past. Shockingly, Confer did nothing substantial to address the issue.
Adding to the concerns, a decade ago, Barto, along with nurse practitioner Callihan and an unidentified office manager, examined a 16-year-old girl. Barto was accused of performing unnecessary and inappropriate genital and breast exams. Callihan and the unidentified office manager defended Barto’s actions, claiming they were simply being “thorough.” The lawsuit highlights that had the patient and her parents not accused Barto of molesting her, this misconduct may have gone unchecked.
These distressing revelations reflect a significant failure to protect vulnerable children from harm within the medical community. It is crucial that such cases are thoroughly investigated and swift actions are taken to prevent any future harm.