Lawsuit filed against ex-Goshen EMT, ambulance corps after on-duty sexual assault

The victim is named as Jane Doe in the litigation filed in Orange County Supreme Court last April.

Blaise Gomez

Feb 22, 2024, 9:11 PM

Updated 227 days ago

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An emergency medical technician in Orange County, the Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps and two of its leaders are named in a civil lawsuit after the professional pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a co-worker on duty.
The victim is named as Jane Doe in the litigation filed in Orange County Supreme Court last April.
Her abuser is identified as ex-GOVAC EMT Liam Kohler, 27.
Court documents obtained by News 12 show Kohler was fired after the incident in 2022, which allegedly included sending the victim harassing texts before the attacks. One of the alleged texts read, “I am not going to let him have you I think. I am going to keep you.”
The female EMT was allegedly sexually assaulted multiple times by Kohler while on duty at the ambulance corps on New Street.
Kohler pleaded guilty to third-degree sex abuse and was sentenced to a year on probation, according to his attorney – who had no comment.
The victim remained on duty for two months after the assaults but was fired, according to the lawsuit, after pushing for sexual harassment training that was allegedly never provided - against state law.
People who spoke to News 12 in Goshen were surprised by the allegations.
“I’m very sorry to hear about that,” said Jenna Geer.
The lawsuit claims the victim was retaliated against and let go for “poor comradery.”
The sex abuse case is the second involving a Hudson Valley EMT that News 12 was alerted to within a week.
“It’s totally wrong. It’s not right,” says James Everett.
The civil suit against GOVAC, Kohler, Board of Directors president George Lyons and chief of operations Jody Krom is still pending.
News 12 reached out to Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps for comment and received a response several days later stating, "It is the policy of the Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps not to publicly comment on pending litigation, but otherwise intends to vigorously defend the pending claims, as appropriate, in the court where the litigation is pending."