The lawsuit alleges that Derrick Todd started abusing sufferers in 2010. (Representative pic)
More than 200 girls and a number of other males have signed onto a lawsuit claiming {that a} Boston-based physician carried out inappropriate bodily examinations on them that weren’t medically vital. According to NBC Boston, the go well with alleges that Dr Derrick Todd, who labored as a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital till his departure in July final 12 months, carried out pointless pelvic flooring remedy, breast examinations, testicular examinations and rectal examinations on sufferers. It additionally alleges that Todd started abusing sufferers in 2010.
The lawsuit has been filed in Massachusetts’ Suffolk Superior Court. Apart from Todd, the go well with additionally accuses a number of dozen different defendants, together with Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and Charles River Medical Associates, of understanding in regards to the abuse and failing to cease it. According to NBC, the sufferers suing say the behaviour, which they are saying included dangerous and offensive touching, amounted to sexual assault.
In April 2023, allegations of inappropriate sexual touching started to emerge from a rising variety of Todd’s feminine sufferers. The former physician was then advised he could not conduct delicate exams and not using a chaperone. In June, he was positioned on administrative go away after which terminated from Brigham Women’s Hospital a month later. Todd was additionally pressured to go away his non-public scientific apply at Charles River Medical Associates.
“We are deeply troubled by the upsetting allegations of harmful conduct committed by Dr. Todd,” the hospital stated in an announcement. “We take our duty to care for our patients and keep them safe extremely seriously. We have, and always will, act decisively on any allegations of misconduct, as we did in this case,” it added.
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The Charles River Medical Associates stated it was by no means made conscious of any complaints of “inappropriate conduct” by Todd and stated it reached out to sufferers to report their issues. “We are deeply troubled and saddened by these disturbing allegations and recognize the courage it took for these patients to come forward,” it stated in an announcement.
According to the lawsuit, victims ranged in age from youngsters to girls of their 60s. The go well with alleges that Todd would acquire sufferers’ confidence, transcend treating their rheumatic ailments and change into their solely physician whereas conducting invasive, pointless exams.
During the examination, he would have the sufferers disrobe or put on a robe. Then, he would topic the sufferers to utterly pointless vaginal, breast, and rectal examinations involving extreme and non-clinical types of touching, the go well with alleges.