Johnstown Sex Abuse Lawyer Files Civil Lawsuit Against Employer of Barto, the Pedophile

A civil lawsuit has been filed against the employers of Johnnie Barto, the pedophile pediatrician. It has come to light that the accused posed a serious threat to patients, yet he was allowed to continue practicing without any questions raised about his conduct.

Five former patients of Barto are seeking financial compensation from his employers. In March, Barto was sentenced to a minimum of 79 years in prison for sexually assaulting 31 minors, many of whom were his own patients.

These lawsuits expose the alarming fact that Laurel Pediatrics Associates had knowledge of Barto’s misconduct for two decades. Despite recognizing the serious danger he posed to patients, they failed to prevent him from treating and molesting these vulnerable children. The clinic has offered no response or comments regarding these allegations.

Additionally, four Jane Does and one John Doe are seeking compensation from Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, where Barto had privileges. The hospital released a statement condemning Barto’s actions as reprehensible, emphasizing that they were in no way associated with his criminal behavior.

Johnstown sex abuse lawyer Sarah Klein, a former Olympic gymnast and survivor of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, addressed the media at a press conference, saying, “We’re just scratching the surface. There is a serious problem within the medical community here and in other places, and we are committed to driving change that ensures the safety of children.”

What is truly astonishing is that in 2000, when there was an opportunity to intervene and stop Barto, the state authorities failed to take action. Two young girls who had been molested in 1999 came forward to the Pennsylvania Board of Medicine. Shockingly, the regulators dismissed the case, deeming the allegations “incongruous to his reputation,” and allowed him to continue practicing medicine.

Dr. Barto, a well-known pediatrician in Johnstown and a respected member of the elected school board, was trusted by many. However, behind this façade of respectability, Barto used his position to exploit and harm young patients.

Despite his high standing in the community, Barto’s inappropriate actions went unnoticed for far too long. Even after his arrest in January 2018, it was revealed that he had been molesting multiple young patients without consequence. He felt invincible and empowered by his position.

A shocking civil lawsuit has surfaced, alleging that Barto’s colleagues at Laurel Pediatrics were fully aware of his misconduct. Despite knowing the risks Barto posed to his patients, they chose silence, denying the allegations and neglecting to protect these vulnerable children.

What’s even more disturbing is that two other health providers at Laurel Pediatrics, Dr. Elaine Confer and nurse practitioner Bradley Callihan, downplayed the allegations against Barto and are still actively practicing at the clinic.

One particularly harrowing incident took place in October 2016, when Barto molested a 10-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister. The children’s mother bravely confronted Dr. Confer, their regular pediatrician, who admitted to knowing about Barto’s inappropriate behavior with children in the past. Shockingly, Confer took no substantial action to address the issue.

Further fueling concerns, a decade ago, Barto, along with nurse practitioner Callihan and an unidentified office manager, conducted an examination on a 16-year-old girl. Barto was accused of performing unnecessary and inappropriate genital and breast exams. Callihan and the unidentified office manager defended Barto’s actions, claiming they were merely being “thorough.” The lawsuit emphasizes that had the patient and her parents not accused Barto of molestation, this misconduct could have gone unnoticed.

These deeply troubling revelations expose a grave failure to protect vulnerable children within the medical community. It is imperative that thorough investigations are carried out and swift actions are taken to prevent any future harm.