Woman wrongly placed in all-male wing at KC psychiatric hospital, lawsuit says
An Independence woman has sued Research Psychiatric Center in Kansas City, saying she was wrongly placed in the all-male wing of the facility and subjected to sexual harassment.
According to the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court, the woman went to Research Medical Center’s emergency room seeking help for a diagnosed mental health condition on March 31, 2022. The Star generally doesn’t name victims of sexual harassment without their permission.
The woman, 22 years old at the time, was then transferred to the hospital’s psychiatric facility, where she was placed in a single patient room in a wing with only male patients, according to the lawsuit. She was the only female patient assigned to the wing, the lawsuit alleges.
The 100-bed psychiatry center, associated with the hospital at 2323 E. 63rd Street, provides medical services and inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services to patients.
The woman was experiencing distress caused by her mental health condition, felt vulnerable in the area where she was placed, according to the lawsuit. The room wasn’t secured, allowing male patients to enter her room, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit says the woman faced sexual harassment and was exposed to the genitalia of male patients. The patients, who faced mental health challenges, made her fear for her safety, the lawsuit says.
What the lawsuit says
Dr. Philip Khoury, a psychiatrist at Research, was assigned to treat the woman, according to the suit. For her well-being, he ordered that she be checked on every 15 minutes, but the facility’s staff failed to adequately monitor her, the lawsuit alleges.
The woman believed that Khoury was responsible for placing her in the room, according to the lawsuit.
Research Psychiatry Center failed to follow its own policies and procedures by allowing male patients into her room and allowing them to sexually harass her, the lawsuit said.
The woman was only moved from the room after complaining, according to the lawsuit. The situation left her suffering from severe trauma, fear, anxiety, and psychological injuries and damages.
The lawsuit says the psychiatric facility was careless, reckless, and consciously disregarded the woman’s safety and well-being.
Statement from Research Psychiatric Center
In a statement, Research Psychiatric Center said its “priority is delivering safe, high-quality, and compassionate care.
“Our patient care and safety protocols are designed to uphold this commitment,” the statement said.
Khoury did not respond to a request for comment.
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 2:54 PM.
