Trauma-Informed Investigation Into AMHS CEO’s Sexual Assault Allegations
The Issue
On September 29th, the news broke that Dan Pickett was being sued in a civil lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend, for sexually assaulting her on February 15th, 2025.
All employees of Albany Med Health System received an email from the Chair of Albany Med Health System Board, Raimundo Archibold on October 1st that said, “The Albany Med Health System holds all of our employees, especially our leaders, to very high standards of conduct. We expect our leaders to live our values every day. Dan is doing that.”
After much public pressure, AMHS Board announced on October 3rd that Dan Pickett would be placed on PAID administrative leave for an estimated 30 days while an independent investigation was completed over the sexual assault allegations. It has NOT been released who is investigated or if the company is trauma-informed or experts on domestic violence and sexual assault.
The alleged victim filed a sexual assault lawsuit, pursuing the last avenue of accountability that was accessible to her as she had already filed a police report and was told that there was not enough evidence to meet the legal bar for the NYPD to charge Dan Pickett with sexual assault. According to a 20 year-review of reported rape and sexual assault cases from 2000 to 2020, only 20% of reported sexual assault cases actually result in the accused perpetrator being formally charged. Dan Pickett not being criminally charged is NOT an animality. It is what happens in 80% of reported sexual assaults. The alleged victim is asking for the civil court to review her case and find if her claim of sexual assault is credible.
And for her decision to pursue her legal option of civil justice, Dan Pickett has filed a defamation lawsuit against her. The alleged victim has filed for a minimum of $50,000 as the monetary reward for her sexual assault lawsuit, inferring that she is more interested in legal recognition of wrong doing than any monetary reimbursement. Dan Pickett has filed for a minimum of one MILLION dollars for the monetary award for his defamation lawsuit.
We are concerned that Dan Pickett is using his wealth, connections, and power to attempt to intimidate the alleged victim into withdrawing the sexual assault lawsuit against him.
We are concerned at the precedent that is being established in this case, that a sexual assault victim will be punished if they pursue criminal charges or civil justice against their abuser.
We respectfully urge the Albany Medical Health Systems Board to have trauma-informed investigators who are consulting with experts on domestic violence and sexual assault. This investigation cannot simply be an evaluation for liability. It needs to be an evaluation for a lack of understanding domestic violence and sexual assault by AMHS leadership.
Sexual assault survivors are seeking medical care every single day at the Albany Medical Health System. Sexual assault survivors are coming to our emergency rooms for their SANE exams. Sexual assault survivors are entrusting their bodies that have already been violated to our care. One out of three AMHS female patients and employees and one out of four AMHS male patients and employees are sexual assault victims.
AMHS needs to be an organization that can be trusted to be trauma-informed about domestic violence and sexual assault.
If you are an AMHS employee and you are concerned about retaliation for speaking up, you can sign the petition as the list is NOT public.
References
Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/albany-med-ceo-daniel-pickett-legal-claims-22454969
https://www.wamc.org/news/2026-09-30/ex-partner-sues-albany-med-ceo-daniel-pickett-sexual-assault
https://www.timesunion.com/health/article/albany-med-ceo-placed-on-leave-22460360.php
https://wnyt.com/top-stories/albany-med-ceo-on-paid-leave-amid-review-into-assault-allegations/
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The Issue
On September 29th, the news broke that Dan Pickett was being sued in a civil lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend, for sexually assaulting her on February 15th, 2025.
All employees of Albany Med Health System received an email from the Chair of Albany Med Health System Board, Raimundo Archibold on October 1st that said, “The Albany Med Health System holds all of our employees, especially our leaders, to very high standards of conduct. We expect our leaders to live our values every day. Dan is doing that.”
After much public pressure, AMHS Board announced on October 3rd that Dan Pickett would be placed on PAID administrative leave for an estimated 30 days while an independent investigation was completed over the sexual assault allegations. It has NOT been released who is investigated or if the company is trauma-informed or experts on domestic violence and sexual assault.
The alleged victim filed a sexual assault lawsuit, pursuing the last avenue of accountability that was accessible to her as she had already filed a police report and was told that there was not enough evidence to meet the legal bar for the NYPD to charge Dan Pickett with sexual assault. According to a 20 year-review of reported rape and sexual assault cases from 2000 to 2020, only 20% of reported sexual assault cases actually result in the accused perpetrator being formally charged. Dan Pickett not being criminally charged is NOT an animality. It is what happens in 80% of reported sexual assaults. The alleged victim is asking for the civil court to review her case and find if her claim of sexual assault is credible.
And for her decision to pursue her legal option of civil justice, Dan Pickett has filed a defamation lawsuit against her. The alleged victim has filed for a minimum of $50,000 as the monetary reward for her sexual assault lawsuit, inferring that she is more interested in legal recognition of wrong doing than any monetary reimbursement. Dan Pickett has filed for a minimum of one MILLION dollars for the monetary award for his defamation lawsuit.
We are concerned that Dan Pickett is using his wealth, connections, and power to attempt to intimidate the alleged victim into withdrawing the sexual assault lawsuit against him.
We are concerned at the precedent that is being established in this case, that a sexual assault victim will be punished if they pursue criminal charges or civil justice against their abuser.
We respectfully urge the Albany Medical Health Systems Board to have trauma-informed investigators who are consulting with experts on domestic violence and sexual assault. This investigation cannot simply be an evaluation for liability. It needs to be an evaluation for a lack of understanding domestic violence and sexual assault by AMHS leadership.
Sexual assault survivors are seeking medical care every single day at the Albany Medical Health System. Sexual assault survivors are coming to our emergency rooms for their SANE exams. Sexual assault survivors are entrusting their bodies that have already been violated to our care. One out of three AMHS female patients and employees and one out of four AMHS male patients and employees are sexual assault victims.
AMHS needs to be an organization that can be trusted to be trauma-informed about domestic violence and sexual assault.
If you are an AMHS employee and you are concerned about retaliation for speaking up, you can sign the petition as the list is NOT public.
References
Hoffman, E. E., Patton, E., & Greeson, M. R. “A Systematic Review of Sexual Assault Case Attrition in the United States from 2000 to 2020” (2025)
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/albany-med-ceo-daniel-pickett-legal-claims-22454969
https://www.wamc.org/news/2026-09-30/ex-partner-sues-albany-med-ceo-daniel-pickett-sexual-assault
https://www.timesunion.com/health/article/albany-med-ceo-placed-on-leave-22460360.php
https://wnyt.com/top-stories/albany-med-ceo-on-paid-leave-amid-review-into-assault-allegations/
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Petition created on October 7, 2026