Two former employees of a Michigan swim school were filmed while they were partially undressed by a local doctor accused of sneaking a camera into the changing area, a lawsuit said.
Now, the two former swim instructors are suing the Goldfish Swim School in Rochester, saying the school failed to protect them from the man’s predatory behavior.
Over a three year period, the 21-year-old and 23-year-old changed in the private stalls within the area and were, at times, unknowingly filmed by Dr. Oumair Aejaz, according to the lawsuit filed Sept. 30.
“All of us remain sickened for those who fell victim to, and have been adversely affected by, this predator, a man who allegedly went to great lengths to violate the privacy of unsuspecting patrons, patients and even guests in his own home,” Goldfish Swim School said in a Sept. 30 statement to McClatchy News.
Aejaz is facing 10 charges after law enforcement found over 13,000 videos dating back to 2018, many showing women and children undressing or in vulnerable positions, on his devices, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in an Aug. 20 news release.
“These allegations stemmed from a mom bringing her young children to a swim school and taking them into a changing room and getting them changed...” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said during an Aug. 20 news conference.
In August, the two former employees were contacted by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office regarding videos found on Aejaz’s device, according to court documents. The two eventually confirmed that Aejaz had videos of each plaintiff while they were naked in the changing stalls at work, the lawsuit said.
The stalls at Goldfish Swim School had a gap that was approximately 1-foot tall at the base of each stall, according to the lawsuit.
“Picture a bathroom stall in a department store,” Kevin Carlson, attorney for the former employees, told McClatchy News in an interview. He added that employees and patrons shared the changing area.
Goldfish Swim School said the changing area was not “communal,” according to the statement, and that the stalls had doors and locks.
The changing area was not separated from the pool or lobby, according to the lawsuit, making those using it more vulnerable.
“Predators do not operate in isolation; they take advantage of opportunities presented to them, and Goldfish created an ideal feeding ground for Dr. Aejaz.” attorney Megan Bonanni said in a news release.
Since they learned of the videos, the former employees have suffered hair loss, loss of appetite, nightmares and anxiety, Carlson said.
The lawsuit demands that Goldfish Swim School make policy changes to further protect their employees.
“When their job requires them to take their bathing suit on and off, they surrender a lot of their control, their autonomy and security,” Carlson said.
Carlson proposed larger partitioning between the stalls and employee supervision around the changing area would be “common sense” solutions to make the area safer, but added that he expects expert testimony to help decide that if the case progresses.
Sheriff Bouchard said Aejaz’s criminal case could expand beyond Michigan and potentially out of the country.
Rochester is about a 25-mile drive north of Detroit.
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