Suit alleges St. Louis-area pediatrician abused women, hospital ignored warnings

A St. Louis-area pediatrician who is facing federal charges of prescribing opioids to women in exchange for sex acts, and the hospital where attorneys allege he practiced, are facing a civil lawsuit on behalf of the women involved, according to noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
Crump, along with Kayla Onder, a lawyer specializing in sexual abuse cases, held a meeting Thursday to announce the suit on behalf of close to 30 women who said they were victims of Dr. Craig A. Spiegel. Spiegel was charged in March by federal prosecutors with 24 counts, including 17 counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances, in connection with a scheme that investigators believe started as early as 2014.
Crump and Onder say the civil suit alleges SSM Health knew about the allegations surrounding Spiegel and ignored them.