A doctor whose license to practice in New Jersey was suspended last year after a female patient said he pressured her for a sexual favor during plastic surgery procedures now faces a federal malpractice lawsuit.
Peter V. Driscoll, of Haddonfield, worked at GOALS Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery in Ridgefield before state authorities suspended his medical license in 2023, according to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
On Tuesday, the patient filed a lawsuit against Driscoll and the owners of the business, claiming that Driscoll “engaged in non-consensual sexual contact” with her and that management was negligent in hiring him.
A phone number in Driscoll’s name was not in working order on Thursday, and it was unclear from court records whether he has an attorney. A representative of GOALS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The patient came to the GOALS medical office on Broad Avenue in Ridgefield on June 7, 2022, to undergo a scheduled liposuction of the abdomen and a double Brazilian Butt Lift, known as a BBL, according to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court.
During the surgery, Driscoll “willfully and maliciously sexually harassed, sought and solicited sexual contact with plaintiff, and engaged in non-consensual sexual contact with plaintiff,” the suit alleges.
“While Driscoll was alone with the patient, he reportedly grabbed the patient’s hand and put it on his thigh while asking her to rub his genitals,” state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said last year in a statement announcing the doctor’s license suspension.
“He then asked her to perform other sex acts and when she refused, he pressured her to continue rubbing his genitals so he could ‘get motivated’ to finish the procedure,” Platkin said.
The patient reported the assault to police and the practice the same day, court records show.
The lawsuit alleges that in May 2022, Driscoll had his phone connected to Bluetooth speakers in the operating room and went into the bathroom.
“While he was in the bathroom, staff heard sexual pornography play from his phone to the Bluetooth speakers for an extended period of time,” the suit alleges.
The lawsuit alleges Driscoll sexually harassed a GOALS employee in May 2022 and that she reported the incident to management, but nothing was done.
Twice in March 2022, Driscoll was accused of leaving a patient alone, one of them in the operating room “for an extended time and staff could not locate him.” The other patient was left alone prior to discharge, the suit states.
“After each of these incidents, GOALS did not terminate Driscoll from employment,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit accuses Driscoll of medical malpractice and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The suit also accuses GOALS of failing to properly supervise Driscoll, failing to carry proper insurance, and of failing to ensure its doctors had proper insurance.
Before he was retained to work at GOALS, Driscoll allegedly had an extensive history of malpractice allegations, license suspensions and discipline in other states, including Texas and California, the suit states.
“Driscoll’s prior charges in California and Texas regarding his licenses and the limits placed on his practice there, including his preclusion from practicing medicine without supervision of another doctor, were not disclosed to plaintiff or other patients at GOALS,” the suit says.
It was not clear from court records whether Driscoll faces criminal charges in the alleged incident that led to his license suspension and the filing of the federal lawsuit.
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @TonyAttrino.
