Complaint: Fresno doctor squeezed woman’s breasts and nipples ‘to make sure she was OK’
A Fresno doctor accused of squeezing a woman’s breasts together “to make sure she was OK” will continue his medical practice, but a court has ordered that a chaperone be in the room when he examines female patients.
Tou Choua Vang, 45, made his first appearance in Fresno Superior Court on March 22 for the allegations reported by the Medical Board of California in late 2018. The alleged sexual assault crimes were committed in 2017.
The complaint filed by the medical board lays out in graphic detail of Vang’s alleged sexual encounter with a 28-year-old woman whom he was examining at Vang Children’s Urgent Care in February 2017. The woman complained of a possible urinary tract infection due to painful urination and had requested further examinations.
The complaint alleges Vang edited a doctor’s note to show the woman complained of breast asymmetry. He allegedly documented symptoms the woman had, like lower abdominal tenderness and vaginal discharge. The complaint also states Vang documented the woman as having painful urination and a suspected exposure to a sexually transmitted disease.
He gave the woman a series of medications to treat sexually transmitted diseases and advised her to contact her doctor for further evaluation.
Beyond a checkup
But the complaint from the medical board alleges the encounter the same day by the woman and Vang was more than just the examination. Vang allegedly forced the woman’s clothing items off, including her bra. He told the woman he “needed to see.” He then allegedly rubbed and squeezed the woman’s breasts. When the woman asked why he did that, he responded it was “to make sure she was OK,” according to the medical board’s complaint.
The alleged abuse continued. Vang is also suspected of pulling the woman’s underwear and pants and then jamming three fingers inside her vagina.
The woman allegedly responded that she felt pain and said “No, no, no,” according to the board.
Vang then rushed out of the room.
The medical board submitted the complaint to the state attorney general’s office at the end of 2018, and recommended eight causes for discipline, including Vang’s alleged negligent behavior, dishonesty, corrupt acts and inadequate record keeping. If the allegations are proven, Vang could lose his medical license.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office filed five charges on March 8: four counts of sexual penetration and one count of sexual battery against a patient. Vang pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is free on a $225,000 bond.
On Friday, a Fresno judge ordered the continued search for a third-party chaperone who can supervise Vang when he examines female patients. For the meantime, he is not allowed to treat women. Unless renewed, his medical license will expire in June.
Vang’s attorney, Marc Kapetan of Kepetan Brothers Law Firm, told The Bee that he believes the court recognizes the hardship the allegations have brought Vang, who has 16 years of medical practice service.
“To have one accusation among the thousands of patients that he’s seeing, put the court in the tough position to make sure his due process rights were respected,” Kapetan said.
Vang is due back in court April 26.
