{"id":110,"date":"2026-05-13T17:09:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=110"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:09:14","slug":"pattern-of-sexual-assault-allegations-follow-gaston-gynecologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=110","title":{"rendered":"Pattern of sexual assault allegations follow Gaston gynecologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Gaston gynecologist is facing a second lawsuit by another former patient accusing him of sexual assault.<\/p>\n

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The suit, filed May 5, accuses former CaroMont Women\u2019s Health physician Sean Michael Lynch of inserting his fingers in the woman\u2019s vagina after a nurse left the room following a pelvic exam during a June 30, 2023 appointment. Lynch left his fingers there for over five minutes without explanation, according to the lawsuit, which identifies the patient as Jane Doe.<\/p>\n

Staff at the Ashley Clinic in Gastonia where the appointment took place refused to allow the patient to see another doctor despite multiple requests, and Lynch made inappropriate comments during a follow-up exam, the suit alleges. The patient had a panic attack during the first appointment and the follow-up, according to the suit, filed in Gaston County Superior Court.<\/p>\n

The suit also names CaroMont Health as a defendant.<\/p>\n

Lynch could not be reached for comment. Lynch\u2019s attorney, Colleen Shea of Wilmington law firm Cranfill Sumner, did not return a request for comment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the second ongoing lawsuit accusing the doctor of sexually assaulting a patient during an exam, The Charlotte Observer found during a review of court records.<\/p>\n

An earlier lawsuit filed in November 2025 alleges Lynch made a series of lewd comments to a patient, inserted his fingers inside the patient\u2019s vagina and ordered her to squeeze his fingers with her vagina \u201cin a further attempt to stimulate arousal\u201d during a hysterectomy consultation. That occurred after a nurse practitioner left the room following a pelvic examination, according to the suit against Lynch and CaroMont.<\/p>\n

\u201cLynch had a history of inappropriate behavior, which was known or should have been known by [CaroMont],\u201d the suit reads. \u201c…Defendants failed to protect Plaintiff by ignoring multiple acts of harassment, failing to properly supervise staff, and failing to intervene.\u201d<\/p>\n

A CaroMont spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Lynch has not been employed by CaroMont since Dec. 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe safety and well-being of our patients is our highest priority. CaroMont Health denies the allegations contained in each of the lawsuits,\u201d the emailed statement read. \u201cAs this is a matter of pending litigation, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Emily Carico, an attorney representing Doe in the most recent lawsuit against Dr. Lynch, said sexual assaults like the one alleged by her client often aren\u2019t isolated incidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re handling these kinds of cases involving this kind of sexual abuse, unfortunately, there is often a pattern,\u201d Carico said. \u201cYour client may be the very tip of an iceberg in some situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynch had faced complaints about inappropriate behavior before. The North Carolina Medical Board in December 2023 received two back-to-back complaints about Lynch sharing detailed information and showing graphic photos of unconscious patients on the operating table to people at a local bar. The pictures were taken without patient permission, according to an order issued by the board.<\/p>\n

Lynch fully cooperated with the board\u2019s investigation and the board received 11 letters of support from colleagues and patients, the order states. He received an official reprimand, signed a five-year monitoring agreement with the North Carolina Professionals Health Program and completed a continuing education course.<\/p>\n

Jean Brinkley, a North Carolina Medical Board spokesperson, declined to answer questions from the Observer about whether there are any outstanding complaints or ongoing board investigations into Lynch, citing board confidentiality policies. The board cannot take action against a doctor based on outside lawsuits, Brinkley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Board has the authority to take action when it completes an investigation against a licensee that finds evidence of one or more violations of the NC Medical Practice Act. The North Carolina Medical Board\u2019s evidentiary standard requires that a violation be proved by a preponderance of the evidence,\u201d Brinkley said.<\/p>\n

Lynch first received his medical license, which remains active, in 2002, according to the medical board\u2019s website. He attended Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency at Carolinas Medical Center. He specializes in minimally invasive organ prolapse repair and is based in Belmont, according to the board.<\/p>\n

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Two lawsuits allege a Belmont-based gynecologist assaulted patients during pelvic exams at an Ashley Clinic in Gastonia; the North Carolina Medical Board previously reprimanded him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nPattern of sexual assault allegations follow Gaston gynecologist - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=110\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pattern of sexual assault allegations follow Gaston gynecologist - 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