Northwell Health is facing lawsuits from patients and staff after a former employee allegedly hid cameras and recorded them in the bathrooms of a Manhasset sleep disorder clinic.
Sanjai Syamaprasad, a 47-year-old man from Brooklyn, was indicted in April on charges of unlawful surveillance and tampering with evidence for allegedly installing hidden cameras inside of fake smoke detectors in public bathrooms in the Northwell Health Sleep Disorders Center and STARS physical rehabilitation center in Manhasset where he worked, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.
Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Syamaprasad was allegedly hiding cameras between at least July 2023 and April 2024. She added that Syamaprasad destroyed evidence of some of the recordings.
Donnelly said her office’s investigation revealed that hundreds of people were recorded while using the center’s bathrooms. Her office said Syamaprasad would allegedly remove the camera at the end of his shift and download the footage onto an SD card. Phones, an SD card reader and three laptops were recovered from his home after a search warrant was executed in April.
Sokolove Law, a personal injury law firm, is representing clients and staff who believe they were recorded in the sleep center by Syamaprasad. Lawsuits against both the sleep center and rehabilitation center contend that facility administrators were negligent by not properly supervising Syamaprasad and preventing him from hiding cameras in the bathrooms. Suits also maintain Northwell failed to properly protect patient confidentiality.
Sokolove Law states that Northwell Health notified over 13,000 patients who may have been affected by Syamaprasad’s actions.
“By filing a civil lawsuit, those affected by the Northwell Sleep Center privacy breach may be able to seek accountability and pursue compensation for the emotional distress and violation of trust they experienced,” reads a statement on Sokolove Law’s website.
Donnelly has called the situation disturbing.
“The allegations against this defendant are sickening and disturbing,” Donnelly said after Syamaprasad was indicted in April. “Knowing that law enforcement was closing in, the defendant allegedly tried to cover his tracks, breaking up and disposing of the memory card to destroy any evidence of the recordings.”
“We all expect professionals working in medical care to respect and value patient privacy,” Donnelly continued. “When they do not, and their actions are criminal, my office will pursue prosecution.”
Northwell Health released a statement condemning Syamaprasad’s actions, adding that they have been cooperating with the Nassau County District Attorney in the investigation.
“We were deeply disturbed when we first learned information regarding the conduct of the former employee, who has not worked for us for over one year,” Northwell Health said in a statement. “We immediately revoked that individual’s access to our premises, reported him to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and have fully cooperated with the DA’s Office in their investigation and prosecution of him.”
“Safeguarding the privacy of our patients and employees will always remain a high priority for us,” Northwell’s statement continued.
Syamaprasad’s criminal case and the lawsuits against Northwell are both still in progress.
