A nurse is suing El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, claiming the hospital ignored her report of a sexual assault by her manager because the incident happened off-campus — during a retirement party at Morton’s Steakhouse in downtown San Jose.
Palo Alto Daily Post reports that the alleged assault took place on March 1, 2024, at a party attended by around 40 El Camino staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrators. According to the lawsuit, Evyatar Nitzany, then a program manager at the hospital, followed the nurse into the women’s bathroom, locked them both in a stall, and attacked her — groping her, kissing her against her will, exposing himself, and pressuring her to perform oral sex.
The nurse says she was shaken but didn’t immediately report the incident, afraid of losing her job or facing retaliation. In the weeks following, Nitzany allegedly messaged her on Facebook begging her not to report him, and continued to stalk her at work — confronting her in the cafeteria and lurking in hallways.
When she finally went to HR in late September, she says her complaint was brushed aside. The hospital allegedly told her that because the incident happened off-site and the stalking had stopped by then, they wouldn’t take action. According to the lawsuit, HR never even interviewed Nitzany.
The emotional toll led the nurse to seek emergency psychiatric care in October. After police questioned the nurse about the incident with Nitzany, he was arrested at the hospital. Nitzany was later charged with sexual battery, indecent exposure, and false imprisonment. His lawyer says he’s innocent and has no criminal history.
The nurse eventually sought a restraining order but dropped the case in exchange for Nitzany quitting his job in January 2025. Now she’s suing El Camino Hospital for failing to protect her from harassment and for causing emotional distress.
The hospital has not responded in court but says it takes the allegations “with the utmost seriousness” and is reviewing the matter.
The nurse’s claims have emerged alongside a broader pattern of employee concerns about the hospital’s leadership.
A recent review on Glassdoor from someone who said they worked in HR describes El Camino Hospital as offering “great pay, great benefits, [and a] decent work environment,” with opportunities to work with “some brilliant, dedicated people in [the] medical field.”
But the reviewer also noted serious leadership shortcomings. Managers receive “minimal or no training,” and many are seen as “incompetent” but remain in their positions “solely based on their title.” According to the review, HR focuses almost entirely on employee relations complaints, while neglecting key areas like manager development and staff retention.
The reviewer described a “chaotic work environment” driven by the absence of regular performance reviews, poor oversight from upper management, and a lack of accountability for toxic team dynamics.
They concluded: “It’s disheartening to see the decline of this hospital, which was once renowned as one of the top hospitals in the Bay Area.”
The nurse’s experience — reporting serious misconduct and being told it wasn’t the hospital’s concern — echoes these organizational concerns. Her lawsuit raises urgent questions about how seriously El Camino takes the safety and wellbeing of its staff, especially when misconduct happens near, but not technically inside, the hospital’s walls.
