Woman claiming assault sues hospital, security firm: Says she woke to find worker fondling her

A 50-year-old Bensenville woman who claims she was sexuallyassaulted by a Central DuPage Hospital employee last winter filed alawsuit against the hospital and Levy Security Corp. on Thursday,alleging both parties conspired to obstruct justice by trying to hidethe crime from police.

"Instead of trying to help me, they were far more interested intrying to help the hospital they represented," Teressa Miranda said,tearfully recounting the alleged Dec. 27 incident while seated nextto her attorneys, Tom Leahy and Enrico Mirabelli.

Miranda said she tried to get nurses' attention by pressing thealert button when she woke up from the effects of anesthesia andfound Sean Burns' left hand on her left naked breast and his righthand on his genitals. When Miranda realized the 24-year-old patientcare technician had disconnected the system, she said, she ranscreaming for help, only to be escorted back into her room by a malenurse who commanded her "to please be quiet" and "quit disturbing theother patients."

Burns was sent home and Miranda was repeatedly interrogated byhospital and security officials who suggested she imagined theincident and overreacted, according to the lawsuit filed in DuPageCounty. She was eventually told the matter would be dealt with "in-house." Miranda's husband, a Bensenville police officer, reported thecharge to Winfield police the next day.

'SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS' SOUGHT

The mother of three has regular operations because she suffersfrom pseudotumor cerebri, a condition that causes a dangerous buildupof fluid around the brain.

Miranda said her experiences at the hospital made her more sick."I don't know how long I was touched, abused or fondled, and all thisuncertainty just plays in my head all the time," said Miranda, whohas been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Burns, who has been charged with criminal sexual abuse, is alsonamed in the lawsuit, which lists Miranda's husband, Willie, as a co-plaintiff and asks for "not less than several million dollars" forbattery, emotional distress and negligence. Burns, of Montgomery, hassince been fired.

Mirabelli, who called the hospital's actions the "worst attemptedcover-up since Watergate," suggested the Illinois Department ofPublic Health require hospitals to report rapes to authorities beforedoing their own internal investigations.

Melaney Arnold, an IDPH spokeswoman, said the department isconsidering adding a provision requiring hospitals to notifyauthorities of sexual assaults as it revises the hospital license actcode.

Meanwhile, hospital officials said they did all they could toassist Teressa Miranda. "We believe Central DuPage Hospital respondedappropriately," a hospital statement said Thursday. A spokesman withChicago-based Levy Security refused comment.

rhussain@suntimes.com