http://www.suntimes.com/n...18.article

Eye exam included toe licking: lawsuit
SKOKIE | Aide allegedly called it 'sugar level' check

January 18, 2008
BY STEVE PATTERSON Staff Reporter spatterson@suntimes.com

Roman Tesfaye went to a Skokie clinic in July 2007 for the first eye exam of her life.

Instead, she claims, a doctor's assistant licked her toes as part of what he said was an effort to check her "sugar level."

A woman filed suit against a Skokie eye doctor and the doctor's former assistant, Joseph Vernell, inset, alleging the assistant licked her toes during an eye-exam.

Now, the Uptown woman is suing Dr. Tamara Wyse, the Myers-Wyse Center for the Eye and Wyse's assistant, Joseph Vernell Jr., for the humiliation and anguish Tesfaye claims she endured.

Vernell, 39, was criminally charged and pleaded guilty after the incident, while Wyse said her office fired him and "strengthened our administrative controls to prevent a similar occurrence" after "the unfortunate event."

"We are very sorry for what happened to Ms. Tesfaye," she said.

Tesfaye, 36, couldn't be reached, and her attorney declined comment.

Tesfaye claims in the suit that when Vernell came into the exam room, he said he had to perform "a strip test" which involved him placing a strip in her eyes, after which she had to keep her eyes closed for five to seven minutes.

But she felt something touching her toes and opened her eyes to find Vernell stand up and pull his shirt down.

"Did you just lick my toes? You licked my toes," she recalls saying to him, according to her suit. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I was checking your sugar level," he reportedly replied.

Vernell, of Forest Park, could not be reached. He is now on probation.

EverSouliciouSucks said:

So that's not how you measure sugar level?

rushing07 said:

DontTazeMeBro said:

EverSouliciouSucks said:

DontTazeMeBro said:

What a pussy!
He shouldn't have apologized.

Did you just lick my toe?
Yes

Did I say anything when my optician told me to pull my pants down and bend over? No!
They're doctors and only want our own good

PANDURITO said:

What the hell were her toes doing 'out' anyway at an eye exam?!

KidaDynamite said:

You ever heard of open toe shoes ??
[Edited 1/25/08 11:22am]

banks said:

True!

I just felt like asking!

creepy.

Any thoughts, Violator?

i'm sorry, but this is the funniest thread title of 2008 thus far.

DontTazeMeBro said:

dannyd5050 said:

That goes right along with "Dont worry ma'am. It's just a themometor"


As if someone would believe u were checking their sugar levels I wonder if all the diabetics in the world know that pricking u're finger with that machine is no longer necessary.....

Just lick ure own toe

I wonder how they measure blood pressure in that clinic.

rushing07 said:

We had a similar incident where I live. A night shift aide was touching women inappropriately. There were numerous complaints made by some of the victims, and no action was taken. Other staff even informed management of complaints.
Finally, a relative of one of the victims contacted the administration, and it was investigated. It was in the newspaper. Major settlement. The manager was fired. The aide arrested.