OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A swim school in Oakland County is facing a lawsuit after a doctor placed a hidden camera in the changing room and secretly recorded people, including children.
According to the lawsuit filed on April 29, a woman went to Goldfish Swim School’s Rochester location in July 2023, where she was recorded nude without her consent while she was changing in the changing room.
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The business, founded in 2006, provides public aquatic facilities dedicated to teaching children swim lessons and programs for children ages 4 months and up.
Dr. Oumair Aejaz was charged with secretly recording and assaulting former patients and others, including minors, at hospitals, Goldfish Swim School in Rochester and private homes.
The lawsuit stated Aejaz set up a camera to record the woman undressing in the changing room next to her.
Aejaz was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison on 31 charges he pleaded no contest to in October in connection with secretly recording people and assault.
Read more --> Secret recordings, assaults lead to long prison term for ‘sadistic’ Oakland County doctor
The lawsuit accuses Goldfish Swim School of negligence and a lack of security for people changing in the community changing room at the business, stating there were no assigned employees to monitor to see who was coming in and out of the changing room, and there were no proper policies, procedures or guidelines in place to ensure the safety and security of the changing room.
Goldfish Swim School “failed to take reasonable measures to ensure that individuals using private changing rooms and disrobing were safe from being recorded without their consent,” the lawsuit alleged.
The lawsuit also stated that Aejaz was able to walk freely into the facility without children present and with no reason to be on the premises.
A jury trial was demanded for the lawsuit.
Local 4 reached out to Goldfish Swim School officials regarding the lawsuit, who provided no comment pending litigation.
The woman represented in the lawsuit provided the following statement:
“Goldfish Swim had every opportunity to protect the families and children in its facilities, and it failed. A man walked into a children’s swim school dozens of times with a hidden camera, and no one ever stopped him. I’m bringing this case so that real changes are made to protect the families and children who walk through those doors every day.
I want other families to know that they are not alone. I encourage any families who attended Goldfish Swim in Rochester with their children to reach out to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to find out if they were recorded. Together, we can advocate to create lasting change for our children.”
“Parents across the country trust Goldfish Swim Schools with their children,” said Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller of Sommers Schwartz P.C., who is co-counsel for the plaintiff in the lawsuit. “Our investigation has found that Goldfish had no policies or procedures whatsoever to secure its changing rooms or adequately screen who entered the facility. It takes tremendous courage to step forward as Ms. Dean has, and we hope other families who were affected will feel empowered to come forward as well. We are filing this class action to hold the company accountable and to ensure meaningful reforms are made to protect families at its more than 150 locations nationwide.”
“While Aejaz set up the secret camera, Goldfish Swim School created the environment that allowed this to happen,” said Megan Bonanni of Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers, who is co-counsel for the plaintiff in the lawsuit. “We are disappointed, but not surprised, that more people have been harmed by Goldfish’s negligence. Aejaz is not the first person to commit this kind of crime, and he won’t be the last, which is exactly why Goldfish must be held accountable so that no one else is given the opportunity to do this.”