The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office has charged a doctor with a felony after a woman went into an Arlington clinic for a job interview and claimed the doctor interviewing her for the job groped her.
Dr. James Laurino was charged with indecent liberties, and prosecutors say this is not the first complaint filed against him at the hospital.
Laurino appeared out of custody Wednesday afternoon in Snohomish County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the charging documents, a woman interviewing for a certified nursing assistant position at Skagit Valley Clinic in August 2017 had to undergo a pre-employment physical. She said during the physical, Laurino put his hand on her upper stomach "and pushed up, pushing her left breast up with the palm of his hand. Laurino then repeated this on the right side."
She claims he also offered her a job working personally for him and gave her his personal cell phone number.
Prosecutors said after a detective interviewed him, Laurino followed up with a letter. He wrote to the detective he was a "goodwill ambassador" for the hospital, and that he was "shocked and surprised to hear of the charge and then a bit insulted and angry."
But he also admitted the hospital was reviewing four other complaints against him, including asking an insurance vendor out on a date and "questioning a patient at length about her sexual history pushing on her ovaries."
In a brief statement, Skagit Regional Health said they take complaints seriously and that Laurino is not longer associated with the hospital.
What the hospital did not explain is if the doctor had other complaints against him, how he was still allowed to be alone with a female job candidate for a physical exam.
Laurino declined to comment on the case.
