Texas hospital director accused of hiding cameras in bathrooms; video on device allegedly shows him installing one

A hospital director in Texas has been charged after investigators say hidden cameras were discovered in public bathrooms at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center and one of the devices contained video of the director installing it.

Robert Shrader, 41, was fired from his role at the hospital after maintenance workers found a camera in a bathroom on Aug. 22 and notified the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. Investigators say a memory card recovered from that device contained footage showing Shrader placing the camera, and that more than 300 images and videos were recovered from multiple hidden devices.

Montgomery County authorities identified at least seven people seen in the recovered footage and charged Shrader with seven counts of invasive visual recording. He was arrested last week and later posted bond, according to police. Prosecutors and investigators did not say how many additional people may have been recorded or viewed on the seized material.

On Thursday, a proposed class-action lawsuit seeking $100 million was filed on behalf of thousands of people who the complaint says likely used the hospital bathrooms while the cameras were in place. The complaint, filed by attorney Anthony Buzbee, alleges that Shrader secretly installed cameras in several public bathrooms at the Woodlands campus "to collect and later view images of unsuspecting individuals, both employees and otherwise." The named plaintiffs include phlebotomists, laboratory staff and a medical equipment contractor who say they used bugged facilities without their knowledge.

The lawsuit also accuses Memorial Hermann of negligence, saying the system failed to prevent Shrader from accessing the hospital's HVAC system — the route police say he used to conceal cameras in ceiling tiles above restrooms. Memorial Hermann said in a statement it intends to "vigorously defend" itself and that the employee's conduct was outside the scope of his employment and contrary to hospital policy. The health system previously described the actions as "illegal and reprehensible" and said they violated the trust placed in the organization.

Shrader's defense attorney, Brian Folly, said his client has no criminal history and has not had the opportunity to assert his innocence or allow counsel to review the alleged evidence. A separate civil complaint filed Sept. 5 by a nurse seeks $1 million in damages and alleges she was likely recorded because she regularly used the bathroom where a hidden camera was discovered. That suit, brought by a plaintiff identified by initials, includes photographs showing where cameras were allegedly placed and is being handled by sexual assault attorney Anna Greenberg.

Police said maintenance staff found the first device during routine work and turned it over to investigators, who then examined the device's memory card. Authorities declined to provide additional details about how many bathrooms or cameras were involved beyond stating multiple devices had been recovered and inspected. Memorial Hermann has said it is cooperating with law enforcement.

Under Texas law, invasive visual recording carries criminal penalties when someone records another person in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Prosecutors will decide whether to pursue additional charges as the investigation continues. The criminal case and the civil claims are pending, and the hospital and individuals named in the litigation have disputed liability while asserting they will defend their interests in court.

The incident has prompted scrutiny of security and oversight practices at the hospital. Hospital officials have not disclosed any changes in access protocols or HVAC security since the discovery, saying only that the individual’s acts were unauthorized and under investigation. The civil complaints allege a broader failure of supervision and controls that, plaintiffs contend, allowed the conduct to occur unchecked.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the criminal investigation. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs and the defendants have filed separate civil actions; court records show the proposed class-action seeks $100 million in damages, while the individual nurse’s suit requests $1 million. Further hearings and court filings are expected as both the criminal and civil matters proceed.