Seven plaintiffs are claiming they were sexually assaulted by former respiratory therapist Eugene Ellis and orderly Rafael Telles while either patients or visitors at the hospital.
WellStar has not been served with the lawsuit and declined comment, according to officials from the legal department.
Police have charged Ellis with sexual assault and battery involving five victims, Loewenthal said.
Telles is charged with four counts of sexual assault, according to his warrant.
Ellis is scheduled to appear in Cobb Superior Court Judge Lark Ingram's courtroom Monday at 9 a.m. A date has not been set for Telles' trial, said Kathy Watkins, spokeswoman for the Cobb District Attorney's Office.
A third employee, Eric Robinson, is also listed in the lawsuit. Cobb Police did not arrest or charge Robinson with any crimes, Loewenthal said.
The lawsuit names the hospital as a defendant, claiming it was negligent in the hiring and retention of employees.
"We feel stronger than ever that all of the victims of sexual assault by employees of Kennestone Hospital will be vindicated at the end of this case, and that we will prove that WellStar has an institutional problem with hiring, retaining and supervising its employees as well as insufficient methods to protect their patients," Loewenthal said.
In January, a second civil lawsuit was filed against WellStar Kennestone Hospital, its CEO Gregory Simone and Telles by a woman who also said she was sexually assaulted by Telles after he transported her to a postoperative recovery room.
That suit was dropped.
In May, WellStar officials commented on its hiring practices.
"WellStar conducts extensive employment and criminal background investigations on all prospective employees. In the present cases, we followed our process," said Bonnie Wilson, WellStar executive vice president and general counsel.












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