Within the walls of a university health centre in Fredericton, a place meant to offer healing to vulnerable students, a class-action lawsuit now alleges that trust was systematically betrayed. A female student's claim that Dr. Manoj Bhargava used medical pretense to commit sexual assault during psychiatric appointments has grown into a broader legal reckoning — one that implicates not only the physician, whose licence remains suspended, but the institution that allegedly received complaints and chose silence over accountability. The case asks a question that echoes far beyond one campus: what
Class-action suit alleges sexual assault at UNB health clinic
Multiple female students at the university allegedly subjected to sexual assault by a healthcare provider during psychiatric treatment appointments over a two-year period.
The university received complaints but took no investigative action
Mark
Why does it matter that the university received complaints and didn't investigate?
Mimi
Because it shifts the liability from just one bad actor to an institution that knew and looked away. If the university had investigated the first complaint, they might have stopped him before others were harmed.
Mark
What makes students in a psychiatric clinic particularly vulnerable?
Mimi
They're already in a state of distress, seeking help for mental health. They're in a power imbalance with their doctor. That combination makes it harder to recognize abuse, harder to report it, harder to be believed.
Mark
Why would a doctor ask someone to remove clothing to take a heart rate?
Mimi
He wouldn't need to. That's the point. It's a pretext—a false medical justification for creating a situation where he could touch someone without consent.
Mark
What happens now that his licence is suspended?
Mimi
He can't practice medicine while the college investigates. But the lawsuit is separate—it's about whether the university should have protected students and whether it should pay damages for failing to do so.
Mark
Could other students come forward?
Mimi
That's what the class action is designed for. Once it's certified, other students who experienced similar treatment can join without filing their own lawsuits. It gives them a collective voice and shared legal resources.
Der Puls
- A female student alleges that a university psychiatrist used the routine language of medicine — vital signs, loose clothing, measurements — as cover for repeated sexual assault during appointments spanning two years.
- The university's alleged failure to act on both verbal and written complaints transforms this from an individual case of misconduct into a claim of institutional negligence and systemic failure.
- The College of Physicians and Surgeons suspended Dr. Bhargava's licence in November after receiving multiple complaints, a regulatory response that stands in stark contrast to the university's alleged inaction.
- Lawyer Erika Hachey is seeking to extend the class to all students who received psychiatric care from Bhargava and allege inappropriate touching, signalling that the harm may be far wider than a single complainant.
- The case now enters formal discovery, with damages sought for assault, battery, and psychological harm — though all allegations remain unproven and Bhargava has not admitted wrongdoing.
Within the walls of a university health centre in Fredericton, a place meant to offer healing to vulnerable students, a class-action lawsuit now alleges that trust was systematically betrayed. A female student's claim that Dr. Manoj Bhargava used medical pretense to commit sexual assault during psychiatric appointments has grown into a broader legal reckoning — one that implicates not only the physician, whose licence remains suspended, but the institution that allegedly received complaints and chose silence over accountability. The case asks a question that echoes far beyond one campus: what responsibility does an institution bear when it knows harm is occurring and looks away?
In Fredericton, lawyers have filed a class-action lawsuit against the University of New Brunswick and physician Dr. Manoj Bhargava, alleging a pattern of sexual assault carried out within the university's student health centre during psychiatric treatment appointments.
The lead complainant alleges that Bhargava instructed her to wear loose clothing or remove garments, claiming he needed to measure her heart rate and blood pressure, then obtained those vital signs through non-consensual sexual contact. The allegations describe a calculated use of medical authority to manufacture circumstances for assault — repeated across multiple appointments over two years.
Equally central to the lawsuit is what the university allegedly did not do. The student says she reported the incidents to UNB both verbally and in writing, yet the institution took no investigative action. The legal filing characterizes this as a systemic failure that enabled widespread harm against a particularly vulnerable population — students seeking psychiatric care. The university did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Bhargava's licence was suspended by the province's College of Physicians and Surgeons in November following complaints about his conduct. The college's registrar confirmed the interim suspension remains in place while the investigation continues. Bhargava declined to comment when reached by phone.
The class action, filed by lawyer Erika Hachey, seeks to represent all students who had psychiatric appointments with Bhargava and allege inappropriate or sexual touching. The plaintiff's identity is being protected at her request. Damages are sought for assault and battery, emotional harm, and impairment of psychological well-being. The allegations have not been proven in court, but the filing marks the formal beginning of a legal process to determine what happened — and who must answer for it.
In Fredericton, lawyers have launched a class-action lawsuit against the University of New Brunswick and one of its physicians, alleging a pattern of sexual assault within the university's student health centre. The case centers on Dr. Manoj Bhargava, who worked in the psychiatric treatment program, and a female student who says she was assaulted during multiple appointments over the past two years.
According to the legal filing submitted Monday, the student alleges that Bhargava requested she wear loose clothing or remove garments and undergarments, claiming he needed to measure her heart rate and blood pressure. The statement of claim then describes how he obtained these vital signs through what the document characterizes as non-consensual sexual contact. The allegations paint a picture of a physician using medical pretense to create circumstances for assault.
What makes this case particularly damaging to the university is the allegation of institutional indifference. The student reported the incidents to UNB multiple times—both verbally and through other channels—yet the university took no investigative action, according to the lawsuit. This failure to respond forms the backbone of the claim that the university itself bears responsibility, not merely as an employer of the accused physician but as an institution that knew of the allegations and did nothing. The lawsuit characterizes this as a "systemic failure" that allowed "widespread sexual assaults" to occur within a healthcare setting against "a particularly vulnerable group of students."
The legal action comes after the province's College of Physicians and Surgeons suspended Bhargava's licence in November following complaints about his conduct. Dr. Ed Schollenberg, the college's registrar, confirmed in an email that Bhargava remains under interim suspension while the investigation continues. "We suspended him when we were aware of a number of allegations suggesting misconduct," Schollenberg said. When contacted by phone, Bhargava declined to comment. The university also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The class action is not limited to the single complainant. Lawyer Erika Hachey, whose firm filed the notice of action, is seeking to represent all students who received psychiatric treatment through the health centre, had appointments with Bhargava, and allege they were touched inappropriately or sexually assaulted. The breadth of this proposed class suggests the legal team believes multiple students may have experienced similar conduct. The plaintiff's identity is being protected at her request.
The lawsuit seeks damages for assault and battery, emotional and psychological harm, and impairment of mental and emotional health and well-being, among other claims. The case now moves into the formal discovery process, where both sides will exchange evidence and testimony. The allegations themselves have not been proven in court, and Bhargava has not admitted wrongdoing. But the filing of the notice of action signals that the legal process to determine what happened—and who bears responsibility—has officially begun.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We suspended him when we were aware of a number of allegations suggesting misconduct— Dr. Ed Schollenberg, registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons
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