Omar Massoud, MD, PhD, a former Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 18 gross sexual imposition and six unlawful restraint charges, according to an Oct. 17 report from Cleveland19.
Dr. Massoud, who previously served as the clinic's chief of hepatology, was arrested in December after being charged with six felony counts, three involving sexual assaults on patients.
He allegedly assaulted patients onsite at Cleveland Clinic during liver exams that occurred on March 25, November 11 and November 28, 2022.
Oct. 16 court documents confirmed that Dr. Massoud pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and has requested a competency hearing.
"We immediately reported the accusations to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and are fully cooperating with the investigations. Following a thorough internal investigation, this physician has been terminated. We care deeply about patient safety and any form of misconduct is not tolerated," Cleveland Clinic said in a statement following Dr. Massoud's arrest.