UMD Pharmacist Hacked Computers To Watch Doctors Breastfeed, Dress: Lawsuit

BALTIMORE, MD — Several women are accusing a University of Maryland Medical Center pharmacist of hacking hospital computers to watch female doctors and medical residents undress and breastfeed, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Thursday.

The lawsuit filed against the medical system by six women alleges that Dr. Matthew Bathula, of Howard County, installed spyware on hospital computers, allowing him to take control of their home networks, according to Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Banner reports.

Once he had access to their computers, the lawsuit claims Bathula — who was not named as a defendant and has not been criminally charged — would activate the webcams to watch the women or access their personal photo libraries to download “their intimate photographs and personally-identifiable information."

In one case, the lawsuit alleges that Bathula watched a Howard County woman while she breastfed her children, undressed and had sex with her husband, the Banner reported. Another accused him of secretly recording videos of her with her children.

The lawsuit claims Bathula accessed at least 400 computers over the last 10 years, according to the Sun. The women were alerted to the alleged voyeurism when they were contacted by FBI investigators.

The complaint said Bathula was placed on administrative leave and subsequently fired, but the women accused the University of Maryland Medical System of not taking the proper steps to protect employees from such a breach of privacy.

In a statement released Thursday, the medical system said Bathula's alleged actions "run counter to every single value we stand for."

"It’s our most sincere hope and expectation that the person alleged to have violated the trust of his colleagues and of our organization will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, which is why we have worked collaboratively over the past several months with the FBI and US Attorney’s Office who are engaged in an active criminal investigation," the organization said.