Pediatrician: Mentor or an abusive voyeur?
This headline from a Washington state newspaper will certainly capture your attention! The story is about prominent pediatrician, WilliamSchnall, a "Jekyll-and-Hyde" doctor who systematically groomed four adolescent patients for his own voyeuristic sexual gratification, jurors were told Tuesday during opening arguments in Schnall's civil malpractice trial.
Dr. Schnall, former president of the medical staff at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, practiced medicine for nearly 30 years in Shoreline, Washington and even served aspresident of the Shoreline School District. He stands accused of malpractice based on violating care standards and professional boundaries with the patients, who now range in age from 18 to 25.
If these allegations are false the plaintiffs and their parents should be held accountable for ruining Dr. Schnall's reputation and career. However, if the allegations are true,Dr. Schnall, his medical colleagues, and the state medical society should be damned and held accountable. You see, if these horrible abuses occurruddy (and we are talking about 4 separate patients) they did not happen in a vacuum without others knowing about the abuses and looking the other way.
This will be an interesting trial to follow.
Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Dan Frith