Brenda Pellettieri says she felt “stunned and betrayed” upon discovering that her former co-worker, Sanjai Syamaprasad, was charged with secretly and illegally recording folks within the loos at their office.
The stunning revelation got here to mild at Northwell Well being’s Sleep Dysfunction Middle and Stars Rehabilitation Middle. Nassau County Police revealed that 47-year-old Syamaprasad used faux smoke detectors embedded with hidden cameras, which he connected contained in the loos with Velcro patches — some positioned on the ceilings straight above the bathrooms.
“We were sick, actually. We were all sick crying,” Brenda mentioned. “We really just want to know where did our videos go?”
Brenda was deeply disturbed when she observed the Velcro patches scattered all through the loos, realizing the total extent of the invasion of privateness.
“I’m so angry about it. It’s embarrassing. It’s disgusting,” Brenda mentioned.
Brenda Pellettieri is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed in opposition to Northwell Well being and Syamaprasad, alleging negligence on the a part of the hospital and the sleep heart.
Joel Rubenstein, legal professional with German Rubenstein LLP representing the plaintiffs, mentioned, “We’re suing for the negligence of the hospital, the sleep center.”
The scandal was uncovered in April of final 12 months when one other worker caught Syamaprasad watching somebody utilizing the toilet on his laptop computer, prompting a police investigation. Regardless of the invention, sufferers weren’t notified of the unlawful recordings till a full 12 months later.
Brenda, who was additionally a affected person on the heart, solely acquired notification letters from Northwell this previous Might. In keeping with the letter, Syamaprasad bought the hidden cameras in August 2022, however the precise size of time the recordings happened stays unknown. Rubenstein estimates that roughly 13,000 letters had been despatched to these doubtlessly affected.
“They’ve expressed how violated they feel and how afraid they are of public restrooms and changing rooms,” Rubenstein mentioned.
Northwell Well being issued an announcement affirming their response saying, “We immediately revoked that individual’s access to our premises, reported him to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and have fully cooperated with the DA’s Office. Safeguarding the privacy of our patients and employees will always remain a high priority for us.”
Syamaprasad has been charged with 5 counts of illegal surveillance and tampering with proof by the Nassau District Lawyer’s Workplace. But, regardless of authorized motion, Brenda says the incident has left an enduring affect on her peace of thoughts.
“I just feel so disgusted that I was videotaped. It affected my life in ways that I can’t even tell you,” she mentioned.
An legal professional for Syamaprasad declined to remark for this text.
