An anonymous woman claims her ex-boyfriend discovered she had herpes after a former Quest Diagnostics manager, who also happened to be his former lover, informed him of her supposedly confidential test results.
A woman, only identified as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit Jan. 29 in Madison County Circuit Court against Quest Diagnostics and Maureen Sackmann.
Doe claims she visited Dr. Saima Ali in Alton in September 2008 to be tested for a sexually transmitted disease. Ali submitted the specimen to Quest for analysis.
According to the complaint, the lab results confirmed that Jane Doe tested positive for Herpes Simplex 2.
At the time, Sackmann worked as a manager for Quest and knew of Jane Doe because she had previously been involved in a relationship with Jane Doe's boyfriend, the suit states. In fact, Jane Doe believes Sackmann and her boyfriend continued to have sexual relations as she dated him.
"On or about September 2008, Sackmann contacted John Doe and told him that she had looked up Plaintiff's private lab results at Quest which revealed that Plaintiff had herpes," the complaint says. "Sackmann further claimed that she had also tested positive for the virus and that she must have gotten it from him (John Doe) because he must have gotten the virus from the Plaintiff. John Doe denied that he was positive for the virus and denied that he had passed the virus to Sackmann."
After John Doe's denial, Sackmann invented a false lab report, which showed she tested positive for the disease, Jane Doe claims. Sackmann then showed the results to John Doe in an attempt to force him to admit that Jane Doe had herpes, according to the complaint. Still, John Doe continued to deny he had the disease. Later, Sackmann admitted to lying, the suit states.
In addition, she admitted to investigating and finding Jane Doe's lab results and offered to bring John Doe to Quest's Alton location to show him the results, the complaint says.
In October 2008, John Doe decided to get tested for an STD, but his results came back negative, Jane Doe claims.
He then revealed to Jane Doe about Sackmann's behavior and called Sackmann's supervisor at Quest to make a formal complaint, according to the complaint.
"Plaintiff believes that Sackmann was terminated by Quest because of her actions," the suit states.
Still, Jane Doe claims she suffered severe emotional distress because of Sackmann's disclosure of her confidential medical information.
In the seven-count suit, Jane Doe alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress, intrusion upon the seclusion of another and public disclosure of private facts against Sackmann. She blames Quest for negligent infliction of emotional distress, breach of fiduciary duty, intrusion upon the seclusion of another and public disclosure of private facts.
She seeks a judgment of more than $350,000, plus attorney's fees and other relief the court deems just.
Emily L. Johnson of Johnson Law Firm in Alton will be representing her.
Madison County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-101.
Lab worker divulges 'other' woman's STD results to lover
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