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Nurses committing criminal sexual conduct with patients is uncommon, but another issue health care managers must be aware of. When it does happen, the resulting civil lawsuits can be devastating to health care institutions:
Michigan hospital enabled ‘sexual predator’ nurse, lawsuit claims
By Justin P. Hicks | October 8, 2025A former Detroit nurse has been accused of sexually abusing and assaulting numerous patients while working at Detroit Medical Center’s Sinai-Grace Hospital.
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, 47, was arrested on multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third and fourth degree in Wayne County. He’s also named in a pair of recent civil lawsuits, which accuse the Sinai-Grace of negligence in its hiring and continuing to employ the “known sexual predator.”
He was arraigned on the latest criminal sexual conduct charges Oct. 4. and remained in jail as of Wednesday afternoon, according to court records. Attempts by MLive to contact his attorney were not immediately successful.
Attorneys representing the women who have accused Figueroa-Berrios said there are at least seven survivors who have come forward to law enforcement as of Wednesday, Oct. 8, including five from his previous employment by Trinity Health in Livonia. MLive wasn’t able to reach a Trinity spokesperson for comment.
Attorneys for the survivors anticipate “countless” more coming forward.
“Somebody who is depraved enough to commit sexual violence on patients, doesn’t wake up one day and say, ‘Hey, today’s a good day to start, right?,’” said Jim Harrington, one of the attorneys for the women.
“This is something that develops over time, that supervisors and administrators who do their job would see this. It was there before they even let this man into that building with the body of previous complaints (against him).”
Sinai-Grace and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, have been served with at least one related lawsuit. Others are expected to be filed in the coming days, according to attorneys Harrington and Todd Flood.
In a statement, Sinai-Grace said it has a rigorous process in place to screen applicants prior to employment. That process didn’t identify a concern regarding Figueroa-Berrios.
“Upon becoming aware of these allegations, Sinai-Grace proactively initiated contact with and notified law enforcement and suspended the employee, who has since been terminated,” the statement said. “We do not condone any type of abuse and are cooperating fully with law enforcement.”
But Harrington said efforts by the hospital to contact Figueroa-Berrios’ prior employer or to assess his social media pages would have turned up concerning history.
Harrington and Flood said the hospital enabled the nurse’s alleged predatory behavior and retaliated against victims who spoke out against him. They said a future lawsuit will be filed on behalf of one such whistleblower.
In the latest lawsuit, filed Tuesday, Oct. 7, a 49-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) alleged the nurse touched her genitals under the false guise of adjusting her catheter in August 2024. The complaint said she didn’t have a urinary catheter at the time of the unconsented and offensive touching.
The lawsuit said Sinai-Grace Hospital was aware of -- or reasonably should have known about -- Figueroa-Berrios’s history of predatory behavior, including a 2019 assault arrest and sexual misconduct complaints that led to his firing from another hospital previously.
A second lawsuit alleges the nurse made lewd and inappropriate sexual comments toward a female patient who was intoxicated and taken to Sinai-Grace for medical intervention this August. He proceeded to grope her breast and body over her hospital gown, expose his genitals, and coerced her to perform oral sex on him.
Throughout the one night stay, the lawsuit claimed he “exploited the patient’s intoxication and vulnerability” to coerce her into performing oral sex at least four times.
No medical or nursing notes were documented in her medical records over a 12-hour span that night prior to her being discharged the next morning.
Upon being re-admitted for medical care a few days later, the patient reported the sexual assaults to two head nurses. She said she was denied access to a social worker or patient advocate to assist or support her, and was met with hostility from Sinai-Grace staff before being discharged.
Police investigating a rape claim reviewed surveillance footage and confirmed Figueroa-Berrios repeatedly entered her hospital room through the night, remaining each time for several minutes.
He was arrested Aug. 27 and charged with five counts of criminal sexual conduct. During his arraignment, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Grace Broughton said her office had at least four more pending cases against him.
Figueroa-Berrios was arraigned on two more criminal sexual conduct charges Sept. 4 related to a May 4 incident. Prosecutors said he forced his way into a porta-john and sexually assaulted a 41-year-old woman outside Grand Circus Park in downtown Detroit. The two knew each other but were not involved in a relationship.
The former nurse obtained his nursing license in 2012. His license remained active as of Wednesday, according to state records.
Survivors are encouraged to contact Detroit police, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, Fieger Law, or Flood Law to share their story.
Sinai-Grace Hospital was awarded a failing grade for patient safety during the nonprofit watchdog Leapfrog Group’s fall 2024 assessment period. The hospital was given a below-average score for a variety of safety problems based on data it reported to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Similarly, an assessment by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) noted “less than substantial compliance” to the state’s Mental Health Code by Sinai-Grace. The hospital got a score of 149 points out of 346.
CBS Detroit reports on the civil suits associated with this case.
The defendant was bound over for trial in Wayne County Circuit Court, on four counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, after a preliminary examination Thursday, Oct. 23. (MLive)
Today's WXYZ Detroit news video is omitted for length but available at the link.
Four new lawsuits filed against Sinai-Grace Hospital in nurse sexual assault case
Ruta Ulcinaite | Nov 05, 2025
DETROIT (WXYZ) — Four additional civil lawsuits were filed Wednesday against DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital and its parent company, Tenet Healthcare, in connection with a former hospital nurse accused of sexually assaulting multiple patients and colleagues.
The new lawsuits bring the total number of civil cases to seven against the hospital system, involving Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios, who is currently facing multiple charges of alleged criminal sexual conduct.
Attorneys from Fieger Law and Flood Law announced the new cases at a press conference on Wednesday, saying they believe there could be many more victims.
"Literally, we are just scratching the surface of how broad this is," said James Harrington with Fieger Law.
The latest lawsuits include allegations from a colleague who worked with Figueroa-Berrios at the hospital.
"This survivor is one that worked with Berrios, was a nurse with Berrios, and the fact of the matter is he sexually assaulted her," said Todd Flood with Flood Law.
Another lawsuit filed Wednesday involves an alleged whistleblower who, attorneys say, tried to report Figueroa-Berrios' behavior to hospital supervisors.
"The whistleblower in this case was the one that gave notice, and filled out the reports, and brought it to the attention of the higher-ups, and instead of being accommodated, she was fired," Flood said.
The lawsuits claim the hospital failed to protect patients and employees from the former nurse. Attorneys say they have been receiving calls almost daily from other alleged victims since they began investigating the case and are looking into nearly a dozen other potential cases.
Sinai-Grace Hospital responded to 7 News Detroit's request for comment with the following statement:
Wilfredo Figueroa-Berrios was not our employee and did not work for our hospital in any capacity in 2016 or 2020. Sinai-Grace Hospital prioritizes the safety of our patients. The hospital has rigorous processes in place to screen applicants prior to employment. There was no indication of a concern during that process. We also have processes to identify and address patient safety issues and take appropriate action. Upon becoming aware of allegations against Mr. Berrios, Sinai-Grace proactively initiated contact with and notified law enforcement. The hospital also immediately suspended and ultimately terminated his employment. We do not condone any type of abuse and are cooperating fully with law enforcement. Federal privacy laws restrict us from sharing patient-specific information. Also, we do not tolerate retaliation of any kind. Our employees are required to report patient safety events. A particular employee’s departure from our organization is unrelated to any such required report that she may have made regarding Mr. Berrios’ conduct.
Figueroa-Berrios maintains his innocence and is expected back in court Friday.
Fourteen women are now suing nurse William Figueroa Berrios and DMC Sinai Grace Hospital for sex crimes in a single lawsuit. There may be other victims suing independently:
Fourteen women suing DMC, Sinai Grace Hospital, and ex-nurse charged with sex crimes
By Scott Wolchek - January 16, 2026
Now, 14 survivors are part of a civil lawsuit, with attorneys alleging the hospital knew Berrios was a predator long before he was arrested and charged in September 2025.The Brief
- Fourteen women are suing the DMC, Sinai Grace Hospital, and a former nurse charged with multiple sex crimes.
- A former DMC nurse at Sinai Grace Hospital, William Figueroa Berrios, is charged with multiple sex crimes involving patients.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Fourteen women are now involved in a civil lawsuit filed against DMC, Sinai Grace Hospital, and a former nurse charged with multiple sex crimes involving patients.
Attorneys are now alleging the hospital system knew about the former nurse’s predatory behavior long before his arrest.
Big picture view: A former DMC nurse at Sinai Grace Hospital, William Figueroa Berrios, is charged with multiple sex crimes involving patients, as well as a separate alleged sexual assault inside a porta potty near Grand Circus Park.
Now, 14 survivors are part of a civil lawsuit, with attorneys alleging the hospital knew Berrios was a predator long before he was arrested and charged in September 2025.
"Sinai Grace has not told the full story," said attorney Bryce Hensley. "What we know based on our investigation and based on the hospital’s own documents signed by the criminal nurse himself is that in April 2024, just months into his work there, Sinai Grace was put on notice."
That notice, attorneys allege, was a complaint from a woman referred to as Jane Doe 1.
"Jane Doe complained of this nurse specifically," said Hensley. "That he requested she remove her clothing before a simple EKG procedure. The record indicates she not only refused this request but then demanded a female nurse going forward."
What they're saying: Attorneys say the hospital system had records of that complaint, yet did nothing about it until the summer of 2025, when he was finally arrested.
"And this is just the beginning. This is the first piece of evidence before we even engage in the litigation or discovery process. Evidence demonstrating Sinai Grace knew or should’ve known what was happening with its nurses within its walls and under its roof."
"The message the hospital sent to our clients and other women is they don’t care about the safety of their patients and these assaults are the price of doing business," said attorney Jennifer Cascio.
In a situation like what is coming out of Sinai Grace, the biggest mistake staff make is assuming someone else will flag it or that HR will handle it quietly. When I ran into something questionable at a hospital setting a few years back, I started writing down dates, patient room numbers, who was on shift, and saved copies at home because internal systems can get edited or locked.
I did not realize at the time how important early documentation is until I came across this article while trying to figure out what protections actually exist for reporting misconduct in a medical workplace. It explained that good faith reporting is protected even if the case takes years or never turns into charges, which pushed me to report through an external channel instead of relying on the hospital chain of command. If anyone around that unit saw patterns or felt something was off, keeping independent records now can matter later more than people think.
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