National advocacy group joins California appeal over survivor medical records

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence has joined a California Court of Appeal fight over whether sexual assault survivors must turn over unrelated private medical records in litigation against Cedars-Sinai and Dr. Barry J. Brock. The move adds national pressure to a case that could shape how far defense discovery can go in civil abuse claims.

Why it matters: - The appeal could affect how much private medical history sexual assault survivors must disclose to pursue civil claims in California. - Survivor advocates say broad access to unrelated records could deter people from filing lawsuits at all. - The case also has broader implications for privacy protections in sexual abuse litigation nationwide.

What happened: - The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence asked the California Court of Appeal to protect survivors in litigation against Cedars-Sinai and OBGYN Dr. Barry J. Brock. - NAESV applied to join an amicus brief filed by the Victim Rights Law Center. - The brief supports survivors challenging a trial court order that would give the defense broad access to private medical histories, including records unrelated to the alleged abuse. - McGrath Kavinoky LLP led the petition that brought the issue before the Court of Appeal. - The case is California Court of Appeal Case No. B354712.

The details: - NAESV was founded in 1995. - The organization represents more than 1,000 community-based rape crisis centers. - NAESV serves more than 50 sexual assault coalitions across the country. - NAESV says it shapes national policy on sexual violence and survivors’ needs. - In its application, NAESV argued that survivors should not be deterred from seeking civil redress by the prospect of wholesale disclosure of private medical histories. - NAESV said the trial court ruling, if affirmed, would expose survivors to broad discovery of sensitive personal information as a condition of pursuing justice. - NAESV said that outcome would threaten the survivors served by its network and undermine public policy goals it has advanced at the federal level for nearly three decades. - The organization warned that forcing survivors to expose sensitive records could deter survivors from coming forward. - Jennifer McGrath, partner at McGrath Kavinoky LLP, said survivors should not have to trade privacy for justice. - Darren Kavinoky, partner at McGrath Kavinoky LLP, said the defense wants records that have nothing to do with the allegations in the lawsuits. - Hundreds of women have alleged that Dr. Brock abused them under the guise of medical care over decades. - Brock surrendered his California medical license in 2025. - Brock denies the allegations.

Between the lines: - The addition of NAESV gives the survivors’ side another national organization with policy influence and victim-services credibility. - The dispute is not just about one set of records. It is about whether civil plaintiffs in sexual abuse cases can be forced into broad privacy disclosures before they can litigate their claims. - The quotes from McGrath Kavinoky frame the case as a test of whether access to court should come with a waiver of personal privacy.

What's next: - The California Court of Appeal will decide whether to allow the amicus participation and how to rule on the underlying privacy fight. - A ruling could affect discovery limits in similar survivor cases going forward. - Survivors and advocates are likely to keep pushing for narrower access to medical records that are unrelated to the alleged abuse.

The bottom line: - The appeal has become a broader test of how California courts balance survivor privacy against defense discovery in sexual abuse litigation.