NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Five months after the Center for Reproductive Health suddenly closed its doors, we finally found the former medical director of the fertility clinic.
He was at the Metro Courthouse.
"They gave you money. They gave you their dreams of starting a family and they say you let them down," I said.
Dr. Jaime Vasquez didn't respond to my questions, as he went into the courtroom where a judge was deciding whether former patients can sue him.
A court-appointed attorney has been handling the clinic's business affairs since shortly after it shut down, and under that arrangement, the former patients couldn't sue.
But the patients' attorneys told the judge that wasn't fair because of all they'd experienced at the clinic.
"The actions here were false and fraudulent and the respective clients in this courtroom and in the community seek justice," attorney Joe Griffith said.
Attorneys for Dr. Vasquez, the Tennessee Attorney General and the court-appointed attorney all argued against allowing the patients to sue —primarily because they said that would take money away from what they are spending on their own legal bills to wrap up the clinic's affairs.
But Chancellor Russell Perkins agreed to let the former patients proceed with their lawsuits.
"It's very exciting. It means we can move forward and hopefully see justice at the end of it," said Sarah Davis, a former patient.
The patients not only plan to sue Dr. Vasquez but also Farere Dyer. We exposed he was treating patients at the fertility clinic, but he is not a licensed medical doctor.
Did this affect you?
If you were a patient or employee at the Center for Reproductive Health, investigators want to talk with you. They do ask that you contact all three agencies.
The Metro Nashville Police Department has created a special email box where people can file complaints and share information about possible criminal activity involving the Center for Reproductive Health.
That email address is CRHcomplaint@nashville.gov. Those emails will go directly to the Special Victims Division of the police department.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sued Dr. Vasquez and the Center for Reproductive Health under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, seeking immediate relief to patients caused by Dr. Vasquez’s unexpected suspension of patient care and the sudden closure of his clinic. To file a complaint, you can complete a complaint form here or you can call (615) 741-4737 or toll-free inside Tennessee at 1-(800)-342-8385.
