Lawsuit Alleges Sexual Assault by Nurse at Brookdale Hospital

A female patient has filed a lawsuit against the owners of Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted by a nurse during an overnight shift in December 2025. The plaintiff contends the hospital was negligent in its hiring practices, citing prior disciplinary records against the nurse in New Jersey that should have precluded his employment.

The Allegations Against Kuriakose Poulose

The lawsuit states that on December 5, 2025, the patient was admitted to Brookdale Hospital for treatment of an autoimmune disorder. The filing alleges that a nurse identified as Kuriakose Poulose administered an intravenous drug that left the patient physically incapacitated. According to the complaint, Poulose then proceeded to sexually abuse the patient.

The plaintiff alleges that Poulose attempted to discredit her by backdating medical records to characterize her as “verbally abusive” and demanding higher doses of painkillers shortly before the incident occurred.

Poulose has not responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations. A spokesperson for One Brooklyn Health, the parent organization of Brookdale Hospital, stated the facility cannot comment on the matter due to an ongoing criminal investigation. The NYPD confirmed that a report of sexual abuse was filed on December 6, 2025, but noted that no arrests have been made to date.

Prior Disciplinary History in New Jersey

The lawsuit centers on the hospital’s vetting process, specifically whether it failed to uncover disciplinary actions taken against Poulose in New Jersey. In March 2025, the New Jersey Board of Nursing issued a “Consent Order of Discipline” against Poulose.

Records from the New Jersey Board of Nursing indicate the board found Poulose committed professional misconduct by failing to disclose three separate incidents from 2020 and 2021 involving allegations of groping. These reports included two complaints from patients and one from a co-worker. While Poulose denied the allegations, the state ordered him to participate in a monitoring program for “boundary violations.”

Regulatory Oversight and Nursing Licenses

Questions remain regarding how Poulose maintained an active license in New York despite the disciplinary findings in New Jersey. As of June 2026, Poulose’s New Jersey nursing license is listed as “inactive,” while his New York license remains “active” with no recorded enforcement actions.

The New York State Department of Education Office of the Professions, which oversees nursing licensure, stated it receives automated notifications from NURSYS—a national database for nurse licensure—regarding out-of-state disciplinary actions. However, the office noted that such reviews typically occur during the license re-registration process.

Unlike New Jersey, New York is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), which facilitates the sharing of disciplinary information between states. Dawn Kappel, a spokesperson for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, noted that state boards generally possess the authority to take action against a licensee based on disciplinary findings from other jurisdictions if those findings implicate the individual’s ability to practice safely.

Moving Forward

The plaintiff’s attorney, Nicholas Liakas, is calling on Brookdale Hospital to proactively notify other patients who may have been under the care of Poulose.

“He’s had prior issues well in the past that they should have known about,” Liakas said. “That’s why we want to get this story out, so that other victims know that you’re not just hallucinating.”

The hospital has not disclosed whether it conducts periodic reviews of the NURSYS database for its current staff. NYPD investigators continue to coordinate with hospital officials as the criminal inquiry remains open.