English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Provo, UT

PROVO, Utah (KUTV) — The number of women accusing Dr. David Broadbent, a former Provo OBGYN, of sexual assault during exams is doubling.

Attorney Adam Sorenson said what began with just four women, is now escalating to over 200 plaintiffs.

Initially, 94 women filed a lawsuit against Broadbent, but after the Utah Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s dismissal of the case last month, more women have come forward.

Sorenson, representing the plaintiffs, revealed that the number of women involved has now exceeded 200.

These women, from different towns and backgrounds, say they are united by their similar experiences with the doctor. Their stories reveal patterns of behavior during medical exams.

Broadbent was a gynecologist who's office was near Brigham Young University in Provo.

Stephanie Mateer said, "There are a lot of young girls who are maybe getting married and going to see their OB-GYN for the first time, and they don't know what to expect. That was my position; you know, I was 18, maybe 19. It was around my birthday when I went. I didn't know what to expect. I'd never had another examination."

Angela Kraniski was also a student at BYU, when she went to Broadbent. She said it was after she had moved out of state, when she realized what had happened.

"It was shortly after my exam with Dr. Broadbent, we moved to Dallas, and the wonderful women in my church congregation gave me referrals to female OBGYN doctors they liked. I just remember feeling so much relief during that exam because it wasn't painful, and they didn't perform a rectal exam, and they used gloves," Kraniski said. "They actually found signs of an STD. And I was a virgin, churchgoing, temple attending, BYU student. So, because he didn't use gloves, I got an STD. Then in later years, as I went to, I exclusively saw female midwifes and OBGYN doctors over the next decade."

Mateer recalled how bad the examination was.

"I remember I felt violated," she said. "I felt like that was so wrong, and it felt so off to me."

While multiple women have talked to media before, this is the first time Kraniski is speaking up.

She said, "I am so grateful to the women who are the original 94, and I am not."

In 2022, the lawsuit filed by 94 women was dismissed, with the judge suggesting it should be a medical malpractice case. However, the recent Supreme Court ruling has allowed the case to proceed, leading to a significant increase in plaintiffs.

PREVIOUS REPORTING on DAVID BROADBENT, PROVO OBGYN:

"The more we heard, the more accounts, and this was before there was any media about it, all of these accounts had so many similar actions that were occuring," Sorenson said. "I think you compare it to Tyndall at USC; I think you compare it to Larry Nassar. It's on that scale."

Mom and alleged victim Sonia Mcgrath said she hopes this can be an important reminder to parents.

"Educate your own children. I have a 15-year-old daughter at home who will go to an OBGYN and have exams," she said. "I want her to understand that this can really happen to anyone. You have to get educated enough to know what you get into in one of these visits, and what to expect."

Mateer added, "When you go into that exam room, you are the authority in that room; you get to say what happens to you."

KUTV reached out to Broadbent's attorney Monday, we have not heard back — however, it was a holiday.

We will continue to follow and update this story.

___

Posted

and last updated

PROVO, Utah — Around a dozen people who became stranded while tubing the Provo River were rescued by first responders Saturday afternoon.

Around 2:45 p.m., emergency dispatch received a call saying there were several people gathering on a sort of sandbar or "island" on the Provo River, just east of Vivian Park. More people joined, and in all, officials said there were 11-13 people stranded there. The tubers were concerned about the water conditions.

One of those people who was stranded was Stephen Collins.

"We went like on a family/work event," said Collins.

He described to FOX 13 News on Saturday how his group got stuck.

"When we got to that little land piece in the middle, it got so bad that we all had to like get pushed on to that thing and it was awful," said Collins. "I was so shaky and freezing and so was everyone else, and like, had to do a shelter literally out of all of our tubes."

Collins said they tried to cross the river.

"I lost my hat, my glasses," he said. "Once you stepped off that little embankment, sandbar thing, it was like it was more than deep."

The Utah County Sheriff's Office said its team of search-and-rescue volunteers responded, along with local fire crews.

"You're concerned because if somebody is in a situation where they don't feel like they can continue on their floating down the river and they don't feel like they can get off the river on their own, then we want to make sure that we get resources there to be able to get them off safely," said UCSO Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Fire personnel waded out to the stranded tubers and then helped them get to dry land. Photos from the scene show the crew using specialized swiftwater rescue equipment.

"I think the whole operation from the time that the call came in to the time that they were all off the river was about an hour, maybe a little less than an hour," Cannon said.

Officials added that it was likely that the stranded group couldn't tell how deep the water was. The sheriff's office advised members of the public that "if you feel like conditions are beyond your control, call for help."

"It's always better to call and end up having an easy rescue like we did today," Cannon added. "Because we have had circumstances on this very river where people probably should have called and they didn't, and it turned out much worse."

Still, they used this as an opportunity to urge everyone to be prepared and do their homework before going out on the river or other recreational activities.

"Evaluate conditions and consider if maybe you should go bowling or to a movie if severe weather is, or has been, in the forecast," UCSO wrote in a tweet.

Collins is thankful the situation wasn't much worse.

"It felt like an eternity sitting in there in the rain, on a bunch of rocks," he said.

The biggest takeaway from all of this, Collins added, is to keep your life jackets on and always check the weather.

Recent Local Utah Stories

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PROVO, Utah — A new sports complex spanning 100 acres, over 20 fields, multiple playgrounds, and walking paths is expected to bring nearly $40 million in economic spending every year to a Provo community once it opens to the public.

EPIC Sports Park will be the largest of its kind in Utah, and the second largest in the country. Residents can now accurately say, ‘If you build it, they will come."

"There’s nobody in the state of Utah, nobody in surrounding states who’s going to be able to host this many teams in this kind of location," explained Provo City Economic Development Director Keith Morey.

The field of dreams is a new sports complex that not only offers greater access for local children, but creates a destination for players from across the country. The hope is that EPIC could become a real economic boon for Provo and this part of the state.

"To think that you’re going to have 1,000 room nights for every tournament generated, $30-40 million into our local economy, that’s exactly the kind of economic vibrancy we want here in Provo," added Morey.

Even with ongoing construction, a national soccer tournament is already scheduled for the complex.

"It’s almost like building a stadium and starting out with the Super Bowl as your first game," shared Scott Henderson, Provo City Chief Administrative Officer.

Henderson attributes the major win on the field to big ideas by local leaders, starting with the growth of the Provo Regional Airport that sits across the street.

"When a community gets to thinking bigger I think it becomes more natural, and the synergy between the EPIC Sports Park and the airport is going to be obvious," he added.

Along with tournaments, the park will be able to host regular recreation and competition league play for soccer, rugby, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and many other sports.

Approximately 130 teams will be playing in next month's soccer tournament, with an estimated 3,000 participants and their families.

"Right now, two-thirds of the facility is done, the first 15 fields," said Parks and Recreation Director Doug Robins. "We’ll be carrying on with the other two sections here to the south."

The two additional sections will house at least five more fields along with a pickleball complex complete with 45 new courts.

"It really started out as being a response to our limited fields of play," Robins added. "We had 11 fields with over 335 local teams vying for space."

Once mainly farmland, the park location to the north of Utah Lake and west of downtown Provo is seeing a dramatic transformation.

"The ability to build this sports complex on 100 acres, and in some way kind of preserve open space for our residents to take advantage of while still allowing development to take place, is kind of the best of both worlds," said Morey.

Grand opening for EPIC Sports Park is set for September 21.

The University of Utah received news today from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the church will establish a new private, faith-affiliated medical school at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, focused on international health issues affecting their members and the faith’s worldwide humanitarian efforts. The U plans to actively pursue collaboration opportunities with the church and BYU in medical education and clinical care.

University leaders affirm that BYU’s internationally-focused health education plans complement University of Utah Health’s state-focused mission and offer new opportunities to serve growing health care needs locally and around the world.

The University of Utah is also expanding its health education resources with its new state-of-the-art home for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, which will be completed in early 2026. In addition, the U is planning a regional medical campus in St. George, Utah, where students will receive clinical training in partnership with Intermountain Health and Utah Tech University. These southwest Utah plans will be discussed further in the 2025 General Legislative Session.

The combination of the U’s medical school expansion and the church’s announcement today will ensure that in the rapidly growing and changing field of medicine, Utahns continue to benefit from excellent teaching, research and clinical expertise.

Select quotes from University of Utah leaders

President Taylor Randall

In conversations with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I’ve expressed the U’s support for this additional investment in medical education and have committed to work together to serve our unique communities,” said Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah. “We will work with BYU and church leadership to lay the groundwork for a model collaboration that serves the needs of this state and provides critical health services to countries around the world.”

“With a new medical school in the state, the U and BYU can strive to meet existing and future health care professional shortages, provide more opportunities for aspiring medical providers and contribute to the health care needs of patients in our region and around the globe.

Michael Good, senior vice president

For nearly 120 years, the University of Utah has been committed to providing top-tier medical education and research,” said Michael Good, senior vice president for Health Sciences. “The U’s medical training, patient care and research helps Utahns and others in our service area live healthier, longer and better lives. We look forward to working together to accelerate our collective societal impact.

Sam Finlayson, interim dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine

Current enrollment numbers at the U highlight the high demand for medical education in our region,” said Sam Finlayson, interim dean of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. “The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine receives well over 2,000 applications for just 125 positions in each medical school class, highlighting the high demand for medical education in our region and the need to expand the state’s educational infrastructure.

About University of Utah Health

Since 1905, the University of Utah has been the Mountain West’s leading academic health sciences center. U of U Health currently serves patients living in over 10% of the geographic United States—including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, western Colorado and much of Nevada.

U of U Health includes five hospitals, 12 community health centers, a medical group of more than 2,000 members, a $500-million research enterprise, five schools and colleges (including colleges of Health, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine), a national health sciences library, the nation’s fourth largest reference laboratory (ARUP Laboratories) and numerous institutes and centers focused on cancer, cardiology, diabetes treatment, genetics, ophthalmology, orthopedics, neuroscience, psychiatry, precision medicine, population health, global health and more.