A sign posted on the door of one of the few cardiology practices in Brown County reads, "The office is closed until further notice."
The reason why isn't typical. Dr. Ali Ghasemzadeh, owner of AG Cardiology, had his medical license suspended amid criminal allegations that he sexually assaulted two patients during medical examinations.
He faces numerous felony charges in Brown County Municipal Court, including rape, sexual battery and gross sexual imposition. One of those former patients filed suit against Ghasemzadeh, of Indian Hill, just nine days after his July 27 arrest.
Here's what to know about the criminal charges and the lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
The first sexual assault happened in June 2025 at Ghasemzadeh's office on Ohio 125 in Georgetown, a criminal complaint states.
A woman was receiving an echocardiogram when the doctor began asking questions about her body piercings, the complaint states, adding that Ghasemzadeh groped the woman without "warning or consent."
She later disclosed what happened to her primary care physician and requested a referral for a different cardiologist, the document states.
More than a year later, on July 14, another woman seeking treatment at Ghasemzadeh's practice was sexually assaulted with an ultrasound probe, according to a complaint.
The doctor then questioned the woman "about her sexual activity, asked how the contact felt, and made a comment about her body," the complaint states. She reported the incident to law enforcement and her primary care doctor, who advised her to seek a sexual assault examination.
Records from the State Medical Board of Ohio show that Ghasemzadeh first evaluated the woman for cardiac complaints in 2007 and treated her in 12 visits from April 2019 to July 2026.
Joseph Suhre, the attorney representing Ghasemzadeh, did not return a phone call from The Enquirer at the time of this report.
"He is ready to stand and face these charges. He denies them, and we look forward to our day in court," Suhre said at a July 29 court hearing, according to Enquirer media partner Fox19.
Matt Nakajima, an attorney representing the former patient who filed suit against Ghasemzadeh on Aug. 5, said his client's allegations serve as the basis for some of the criminal charges. The woman is asking the court to allow her to proceed with litigation under a pseudonym due to the sensitive nature of the allegations.
Her legal action "arises from a physician's calculated exploitation of a patient's trust," the lawsuit states. It claims that staff at the doctor's office failed to intervene or report what was happening, or they willfully participated and assisted in covering up the alleged assaults.
"It does not appear to be an isolated incident," Nakajima told The Enquirer, pointing to public statements by prosecutors that Ghasemzadeh may have multiple other alleged victims.
Ghasemzadeh was the only person in the room with the woman during the examination, the lawsuit states, adding that he represented to her that his actions were medically legitimate and necessary.
The woman "reasonably relied on Dr. Ghasemzadeh's medical authority and did not understand that the conduct was sexual, medically unnecessary, and undertaken for his own purposes until during and/or after the encounter," the suit states.
The woman is seeking monetary judgments from the court, including damages, compensation for her injuries, court costs and attorney's fees.
Court records show that Ghasemzadeh's criminal charges are set for a grand jury review to determine whether he'll be prosecuted on felony counts in a higher court.
The state medical board suspended Ghasemzadeh's medical license in a July 31 order, finding that his continued practice "presents a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public," according to the records. The agency intends to determine whether the doctor's license to practice in the state will be permanently revoked.
The Brown County Sheriff's Office is urging anyone with information about sexual abuse at Ghasemzadeh's office to contact Det. Jeff Wolf at 937-378-4435, extension 114.
Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Woman sues Ohio cardiologist accused of sexual assaulting 2 patients