Doctor denies sexual assault allegations in federal lawsuit

Dr. Ugochukwu Akoma has denied allegations of sexual assault brought against him in the District Court of Guam.

His attorney, William Gavras, filed an answer to the complaint and jury demand filed by De-Anna Tyeron on Jan. 16.

Taijeron filed a case against Akoma in the local Superior Court of Guam, but in December the Attorney General’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Attorney Douglas Moylan cited several judge rulings that hurt the government’s case, adding that Tygeron no longer responds to messages.

But Tigeron, who moved to Hawaii after the trial in April 2024, said in an email that she was in regular contact with Acting Attorney General Gloria Rudolph as well as the AG’s victim advocate and was deeply disappointed by the move.

In October 2023, Tygeron filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking $500,000 in damages.

Acoma, through his attorney, denied almost everything in Tygeron’s complaint and jury trial demand.

He admitted that he was the doctor who ran the Hepzibah Family Medicine Clinic, and that he had visited Tygeron and prescribed her medication.

He also admitted to asking Tigeron how she was doing and whether she would be able to handle working in his office with her mental illness.

According to the complaint, Tyeron went to Acoma for mental health treatment.

On October 23, 2021, Tygeron went to Acoma and claims he took her to an empty room and forced her to put her hand on his crotch.

She also claims Acoma kissed her and stuck his tongue in her mouth several times, the complaint states.

According to the documents, he led her to a waiting room and then brought her to his lounge, where Tygeron alleges Acoma touched her private part through her clothes and kissed her again.

Tyeron said she tried to leave, but Acoma told her to stay, and she claims he continued to sexually assault her until he left the room and she was able to leave, the complaint said.

However, Tygeron had to return to the clinic to pick up paperwork for his father, who was also a patient at the Acoma clinic.

She claims Acoma sexually assaulted her again when she arrived at the clinic, the complaint states.

According to the documents, Tyeron is a rape survivor and suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

She sought treatment at Acoma to help with depression and anxiety, but the alleged seizures kept her out of the house for two months, according to the documents.

“She relives this trauma every day. Now she is afraid of doctors and needs someone to accompany her during appointments. Plaintiff had to move from Guam due to fear of defendant and is finding it difficult to just live,” the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Tyeron was unable to work after the alleged assaults and lost about $9,000 in income because she was unemployed.

Tigeron is seeking at least $500,000 in emotional distress damages and is seeking at least $81,000 in punitive damages, according to the complaint.

Acoma, through his attorney, stated that the complaint does not contain a claim for damages and that the third party is liable for all or part of the plaintiff’s damages.

Her claims are barred as a matter of law because the complaint contains numerous patently false statements, according to the response to the complaint.

Gavras also claims that Tyeron failed to discuss her demands. She was required to file claims under Guam’s mandatory medical malpractice arbitration law, which divests the court of jurisdiction.

Acoma requests that Tygeron take nothing for her complaint and that he be awarded reasonable attorneys’ fees and such other relief as the court deems just.