Ex-cardiology chief indicted on sexual battery charge

SAN JOSE » The former chief of cardiology for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System has been indicted on a federal charge of abusive sexual contact, authorities announced Thursday.

Dr. John Giacomini, 71, of Atherton, allegedly subjected the victim, a subordinate doctor under his supervision, to “unwanted and nonconsensual sexual contact” in December 2017 while both were on duty, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Prosecutors said Giacomini had served in his position for more than 30 years and also served on the medical faculty at Stanford University. He no longer works at the VA or Stanford.

Because the alleged sexual battery happened on federal property, the VA Office of Inspector General referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Giacomini made his initial appearance by telephone on Thursday and remains free on a $200,000 bond, prosecutors said. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 7. On Friday, the indictment remained sealed on the case.

If convicted of the charge, Giacomini faces a maximum sentence of two years of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, restitution, supervised release and a special assessment.

Allegations against Giacomini arose in 2018 when a subordinate accused him of trying to force her into a sexual relationship, according to a VA investigators memo obtained by the Daily Post. Giacomini’s attorney told the Post the relationship was consensual, but the investigator found Giacomini engaged in “behaviors of a sexual nature.”

On Friday, Giacomini’s attorney Michael Betz continued to insist he is innocent: “Dr. Giacomini will either be acquitted or the case will be dropped.”

A Stanford School of Medicine spokeswoman said Friday that the university placed Giacomini on leave in June 2018 when they learned of the complaint and he later retired when he was given notice he would be fired.

But that didn’t end his career. Giacomini was later hired as an administrative consultant for Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. Whether Sequoia knew about the sexual harassment findings before it hired Giacomini still isn’t clear.

On Friday, a spokeswoman there would only say: “At Sequoia Hospital, we are committed to the highest standards of safety for our patients, visitors, and staff. We are looking into this matter closely.”