A Michigan State University patient filed court documents detailing how a resident physician isolated her in an examination room before sexually assaulting her under the guise of medical care, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The notice of intent to sue, filed in the Michigan Court of Claims on Nov. 10, names Dr. Arpit Saxena and outlines allegations from a patient identified as Jane Doe. The legal filing details allegations against the 40-year-old physician, who faces multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct tied to accusations from April 2025.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Isolation Tactics: Court documents state the physician positioned himself to block exits and emphasized that other staff had left for the day.
Court Documents Detail the April 2025 Assault
Jane Doe said that the assault occurred at about 4:45 p.m. on April 3, 2025, at the MSU Health Care Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic. Saxena positioned himself in the exam room so she could not leave, warning her that other employees had gone home for the day, according to court documents cited by the Detroit Free Press.
“in a sexual manner without her consent and digitally penetrated her genital and anal openings,” the patient alleged that Saxena touched her vagina, anus, and breast after the attending physician left the room. The documents state that Saxena prolonged the appointment beyond its normal duration until clinic personnel had largely departed.
Following the appointment, Jane Doe called 911 from the parking lot at 4660 S. Hagadorn Road, becoming the first patient in Michigan to report Saxena to law enforcement. Criminal charges filed against Saxena include three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Attorneys Allege MSU Failed to Prevent Misconduct
Michigan State University, its Board of Trustees, its College of Osteopathic Medicine, MSU Health Care, and the clinic are all identified in the notice of intent to sue. Attorneys Lauren E. Kissel and Stephen H. Sinas alleged in the filing that MSU knew or should have known of warning signs indicating Saxena posed a foreseeable risk of harm.
Jane Doe’s attorneys alleged in the notice of intent to sue that “Despite such knowledge, the institution failed to take reasonable measures to adequately supervise, monitor, investigate, train, discipline, warn against, or otherwise prevent the misconduct that resulted in injury to Jane Doe.”
The institutional defendants additionally neglected to uphold their own chaperone, informed-consent, and patient-safety rules, while also failing to maintain a sufficiently secure medical environment for individuals seeking treatment.
Anastasha Osborn, director of communications for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), told the Detroit Free Press that MSU violated state law by waiting 17 months to report it was investigating Saxena.
LARA said that MSU failed to report disciplinary action resulting in a change of employment status within 30 days, violating the Michigan Public Health Code. The university also failed to immediately notify LARA when Saxena was dismissed from the residency program on Oct. 8, 2025.
Patients Report Additional Sexual Abuse Allegations
Since MSU police announced criminal charges in September, four additional patients have come forward to report sexual abuse by Saxena during his residency in East Lansing between July 1, 2024, and April 7, 2025. Documents from an MSU internal investigation detail two earlier accounts of sexual assault dating back to March 2022 in Alabama, where Saxena worked for Cahaba Medical Care and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
| Legal and Administrative Action | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Sue | Nov. 10, 2026 | Filed in the Michigan Court of Claims by Jane Doe’s attorneys. |
| Residency Dismissal | Oct. 8, 2025 | Saxena was dismissed from the MSU residency program. |
| Preliminary Examination | Dec. 10, 2026 | Scheduled in 54-B District Court in East Lansing with Saxena held on a $2 million bond. |
Saxena is currently held in the Ingham County Jail on a $2 million bond. A preliminary examination of the evidence against him is set to begin Dec. 10 in 54-B District Court in East Lansing.
