Seven women who alleged they were sexually abused by a physical therapist have reached an $18.5 million settlement with Adventist Health Sonora. Each plaintiff will recover $2.64 million, The Modesto Bee reported.
The Lewis & Llewellyn law firm of San Francisco announced the settlement of the Tuolumne County lawsuit. Adventist Health Sonora employed Jason Elias as a physical therapist for decades. Adventist Health owns a hospital and outpatient clinics in Sonora.
Most of the plaintiffs live in Tuolumne County. One lives in Merced County.
What the Women Alleged in Their Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, the women charged that Elias isolated them in private treatment rooms and told them to undress completely. They said he then touched them inappropriately under the guise of physical therapy.
Patients said Elias massaged their inner thighs for no therapeutic reason and touched their groin and labia. The law firm said the alleged conduct included groping of breasts and buttocks. It also included covertly photographing their bodies while they lay exposed.
Reports That Went Nowhere, the Lawsuit Says
The lawsuit charged that at least five Adventist Health employees witnessed misconduct or were given reports of the therapist’s behavior. Adventist Health was accused of failing to investigate, impose supervision over Elias or report him to police.
According to the lawsuit, patients began reporting Elias’ conduct in 2007. A patient who made a report that year told four other Adventist Health employees and her own physical therapist in the following years. The law firm said she was never referred to human resources or hospital administration.
“Adventist Health had repeated opportunities to stop the abuse, but chose not to act,” Attorney Paul Llewellyn said in a news release. “Multiple women told Adventist employees what happened to them. Not one of those reports went anywhere.”
An Adventist Health spokesperson did not immediately return a message Wednesday afternoon from The Modesto Bee.
How the State Board Acted on the Therapist’s License
The Physical Therapy Board of California ultimately investigated complaints against Elias. It found that he engaged in sexual misconduct with three patients during sessions in 2020, May 2022 and September 2022.
In a March 2025 accusation, the state board also said his care and treatment of the patients amounted to gross negligence. His license was revoked, effective April 3, 2026.
How the Case Grew From Three Plaintiffs to Seven
Three plaintiffs filed the original lawsuit against Adventist Health and Elias in Tuolumne County Superior Court, according to an August 2024 story in MyMotherLode.com. That story reported that Elias was no longer an Adventist Health employee.
Additional plaintiffs were included in a third amended complaint filed in March 2025. None of them are named in the legal records. The settlement will now be divided among all seven women.
