Employees discover hidden spy camera inside bathroom at Los Angeles Kaiser Permanente hospital
Employees at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in West Los Angeles made the shocking discovery of a hidden camera in a staff-only bathroom.
Tyesha Sullivan, a registered nurse who works in the emergency room, said she found the camera in the back of the stall but had no idea what it was at first. By the end of her shift in late November, a number of her co-workers had their suspicions as well.
"It was maybe about eight of us in there and that's when I discovered that it was a camera, I was very shocked," Sullivan said.
Jamal Tooson, an attorney, said his team is currently representing over 22 Kaiser employees, which consists of nurses and staff. He added that his office is receiving calls daily with complaints.
Tooson claims the hospital failed to protect its employees from unlawful surveillance in one of the most private places, the workplace.
"There's been at least one other instance that I'm aware of at another Kaiser location," Tooson said.
In a statement to CBS LA, Kaiser Permanente said it was shocked and deeply upset to learn about the hidden camera. The company said it immediately reported the incident to the LAPD and began an investigation into the matter.
"During the course of the investigation, a Kaiser Permanente employee was identified as a person of interest and subsequently arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department. That individual is no longer employed by Kaiser Permanente," the statement said.
Since last summer, police in Northern California have been investigating a hidden camera found in a public bathroom at a Kaiser Medical Center in Vallejo.
"The obligation of an employer is to provide a safe workspace for employees, and that includes, particularly in private spaces," said Vanessa Gilmore, another attorney representing employees.
Gilmore, a retired federal judge, said this case has similarities with some of the child pornography cases she's heard while on the bench.
"One of the things that was the most troublesome for the victims of child pornography is the thought that these photographs persisted on the internet in perpetuity," Gilmore said. "That it was very difficult to find them and have them taken down."
It's unclear if any of the images from this camera have been shared. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed an individual was arrested for the alleged invasion of privacy and the person has been formally charged by the LA City Attorney. Due to the sensitivity of the case, the department's Special Assaults Section is handling the investigation.
Last year, a group of first responders, mostly women, filed a lawsuit against the city of El Cajon and a private ambulance company after three hidden spy cameras were found inside the bunk rooms of a fire station in San Diego County. The cameras were allegedly disguised as a phone charger and an alarm clock.
Jody Russell, an engineer with the security firm Ambient.AI, said he is seeing more of these cases.
He said if you suspect you're being recorded, don't take matters into your own hands; report it to the authorities.
"Something as simple as turning the lights off when you go into the bathroom and just taking a quick look around, 'Do you see those blinking lights?'" Russell said. "You don't want to become a target for one and you have to think if this person is recording activity, then they're going to record you going about your investigation."
Attorneys said this hidden camera was found in an employee bathroom that requires a key card for entry, used by staff members who work in the emergency room.
"I feel as though when I go to work, I'm not really focused on what I need to be focused on, which is my patients," Sullivan said. "I'm more focused on who could be watching me."
