Seven former foster youth have filed a 40-page complaint in Santa Clara County Superior Court accusing Dr. Patrick Clyne, a former county pediatrician and foster parent, of sexually abusing them during routine medical visits. Filed last Friday, the lawsuit also names Santa Clara County child-welfare officials and seeks damages for what the plaintiffs describe as a deliberate cover-up. Identified only by initials, the seven say the alleged abuse occurred between roughly 2001 and 2011.
In a press release quoted by The Imprint, plaintiffs' attorney Wyatt Vespermann said, "Our clients are coming forward because accountability is long overdue." The filing alleges county staff deliberately covered for Clyne and specifically names former Department of Family and Children's Services deputy director Ken Borelli among the officials accused of failing to intervene.
Investigations and license surrender
State and local authorities have scrutinized Clyne repeatedly over the past two decades. The Medical Board of California reports that the board accepted Clyne's surrender of his medical license effective June 13, 2025, after the Attorney General's office filed an accusation. Local reporting traces criminal and administrative inquiries back to 2001, and a 2019 joint probe by the Medical Board and Watsonville police did not yield criminal charges, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
What the complaint alleges
The complaint describes allegations that Clyne performed unnecessary genital and rectal exams, inappropriately touched and digitally penetrated patients during routine visits, and at times presented invasive exams as county requirements, according to The Imprint. Plaintiffs say much of the alleged conduct took place at county clinics and in group-home settings between about 2001 and 2011.
Settlements, law and what comes next
Last year, Santa Clara County approved a $5.5 million settlement for one former foster youth, the plaintiffs' counsel says; Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP notes it represented that survivor. That payout, together with the California Child Victims Act (AB 218), which extended many filing deadlines until age 40, has prompted additional suits from alleged survivors. The law is detailed in the California Legislature records. The newly filed case seeks damages and county records and is now pending in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
Santa Clara County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Clyne has denied wrongdoing in past interviews. Plaintiffs' attorneys say more suits are in preparation and that the new case will move through the county's civil calendar in the coming months.
