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A former medical resident at the University of Rochester Medical Center is suing the institution, saying it failed to protect her from Johan Blickman, vice chair of the center’s department of imaging sciences and a professor of pediatrics. The former resident says she was doing a rotation in pediatric radiology in 2014 when Blickman invited her to his house to discuss a research paper, then drugged and raped her. She alleges that the professor blackmailed her with nude photographs, threatening to destroy her life if she complained about him, and continued to coerce her into sex. She further accuses Blickman of meeting with her boyfriend and asking the boyfriend to help him kill his ex-wife.
Rochester told the Democrat & Chronicle that it first heard about an "inappropriate relationship" from the woman’s attorney in 2016, two years after she left the medical center, and subsequently "took action based on our findings." A university spokesperson declined to say what action Rochester took in 2016 but said that it received “new and different” allegations last week. Blickman is now on paid leave, pending a review, the spokesperson said, noting that Rochester has not heard from law enforcement about the case. Blickman did not respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit comes on the heels of the Florian Jaeger case at Rochester. Jaeger, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, was cleared of wrongdoing by campus inquiries and an outside review paid for by the university, but a group of his colleagues and former students are suing the university for its handling of complaints against him. He is currently on leave from teaching.
