Greater than 60 former sufferers file class motion swimsuit in opposition to ex-Brigham doc accused of sexual abuse

Dr. Derrick Todd is now dealing with dozens of sexual abuse allegations after greater than 60 sufferers filed a category motion lawsuit in opposition to the previous Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital doctor on Wednesday.

They allege that the rheumatologist — who left Brigham and Ladies’s in July — carried out “inappropriate pelvic examinations, breast examinations, and rectal examinations on sufferers … for his personal sexual gratification.” 

Wednesday’s criticism is the third lawsuit filed in opposition to Todd inside the previous two weeks; the earlier lawsuits made related allegations of medically pointless breast and pelvic exams. 

Invoice Thompson, a lawyer with Lubin & Meyer — the agency that introduced the category motion swimsuit — mentioned 65 former sufferers had signed on as of Wednesday afternoon. He additionally mentioned he expects that quantity will proceed to climb. 

“Sufferers who suffered by the hands of Dr. Todd mustn’t endure alone,” he informed Boston.com in an e-mail. “There may be energy in numbers and collectively we are able to arise and say this isn’t OK.”  

The lawsuit names a wide selection of defendants except for Todd, together with physicians he labored below and the establishments the place he practiced medication. Amongst them: Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital; Brigham and Ladies’s Faulkner Hospital; Charles River Medical Associates; Brigham and Ladies’s Physicians Group; and Mass Common Brigham Neighborhood Physicians. 

The named plaintiff within the lawsuit, Hull resident Nancy Larsen, mentioned Todd carried out “inappropriate and unauthorized breast and pelvic examinations” on her starting in 2020 and persevering with by means of 2023. 

She’s bringing the lawsuit on behalf of herself and different sufferers who had been allegedly subjected to bodily exams that weren’t medically indicated. 

“These horrifying, traumatizing, and deplorable acts came about over years, from not less than way back to 2011 and persevering with by means of July, 2023, at which era Dr. Todd was investigated by the Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital and the Board of Registration in Drugs, and formally resigned,” the swimsuit states.  

Todd agreed final month to cease working towards medication in Massachusetts and in different states, although his voluntary settlement doesn’t admit to wrongdoing. 

“To the extent that anybody is bringing claims in opposition to him, Dr. Todd believes that he has achieved nothing flawed and can defend in opposition to such claims vigorously,” his lawyer, Ingrid Martin, mentioned final week in a press release on his behalf. “We’re cooperating absolutely with any investigation by the Board of Registration in Drugs.”

What now?

Brigham and Ladies’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Charles Morris mentioned in a press release Tuesday that the hospital has reached out to Todd’s present and former sufferers. He inspired Todd’s sufferers to name 617-732-7081 in the event that they haven’t already spoken with somebody on the hospital. 

“We deeply remorse the hurt Dr. Todd’s actions has brought about our sufferers and their households,” Morris mentioned. “We take our obligation to take care of our sufferers and maintain them protected extraordinarily critically. We’ve, and all the time will, act decisively on any allegations of misconduct, as we did on this case.” 

Charles River Medical Associates Director Dr. Joseph Harrington — who is known as within the class motion swimsuit — mentioned in a earlier assertion that the group is “disenchanted and saddened by these disturbing allegations” and that it is usually within the means of speaking with sufferers. 

Thompson mentioned Lubin & Meyer hopes Wednesday’s lawsuit “brings about accountability for these ladies, each when it comes to compensation for what was achieved to them, but in addition to lift consciousness and forestall something like this from occurring ever once more.”

He added: “As an increasing number of ladies come ahead, it’s changing into an increasing number of apparent that Dr. Todd’s supervisors on the hospitals and inside his workplace follow both knew and did not act, or did not know, which is each astonishing and inexcusable as this conduct was happening repeatedly over a few years proper below their noses.”