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Mel Levine Accused of Sexual Abuse
Mel Levine, author of "All Kinds of Minds" practiced pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston from 1971 to 1985. On March 31, 2008, attorney Carmen L. Durso filed a lawsuit on behalf of an unnamed plaintiff, alleging that between 1980 and 1985, Levine performed repeated and unnecessary physical examinations on his client, including sexual acts. There are six other plaintiffs in the suit with similar allegations.
In explaining the 23-year delay in filing such a suit:
The plaintiff who filed the lawsuit "was unable to recall and to understand" the abuse until February 2006, the complaint said. It says he has been in therapy since.
After leaving Boston, Levine was a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine until 2006. In the last two years, he held an "unpaid appointment as an adjunct professor at the university, where he continued to see patients twice a month." UNC announced that Levine has volunteered not to see any patients until the suit is resolved.
In a faxed statement, Levine's lawyer, Edward Mahoney of Boston, said the doctor is innocent.
"Dr. Mel Levine has provided pediatric care to more than 15,000 children over 40 years and categorically denies that he has ever been abusive in any way toward any patient," said Mahoney, who questioned the motives of the lawyer filing the suit. "He adamantly denies these claims. Dr. Levine is distressed about the distorted or misinterpreted memories from decades past and questions the motivations."
The plaintiff "was unable to recall and to understand"--sounds like repressed/recovered memory therapy to me.
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technoratiComments (19)
I don't think one should judge unless they have been abused themselves under the veil of "helping." A child has no reference to understand what is abuse. Children are taught to trust doctors and to acquiesce. It's highly plausible that once they are adults and have points of reference, they realize they've been abused.
I believe this could happen. I had a 'breast exam' by a resident at age 15 ("This is how we do them now") that I never questioned until I was almost thirty and realized I had never had a breast exam like that since (from a physician, that is).
My son was lucky enough to have been a patient of Dr. Levine's. On several occassions he was examined in his office, with the exam door open and myself present. Not only do I agree with the above "Gold Digger" statement but as a Pediatric RN with Psychiatric experience, I can say that Dr. Levine was nothing but professional in my experience. He is the best in his specialty. Besides, what kind of parent sends their child to one of the best specialists in the country and isn't present for the physical exam?
What a load of poppycock! Dr. Levine is a noted advocate for helping children and their families. I fully beleive that if Dr. Levine was not a NY Times Best Selling Author and successful professional - none of these allegations would be around to totally smear his good name!
So, it's the parents' fault? Perhaps you were present during your child's exam because Dr. Levine did not suggest that you wait outside, since he realized that you are a healthcare professional yourself and you would not simply be a passive parent.
Predators look for the vulnerable. Predators are also often quite charming and esteemed in their community; they also seek positions of authority in which they can have access to children without any questions. (Think priests for a comparison).
It's shameful when adults automatically take the side of the alleged perpetrator. Why assume that he can do no wrong? Because he seems nice? He's upper class?
He's a doctor?
This is all a crock. I have been in Dr. Levine's company many, many times in both professional and personal circumstances. The man is an example of a (psycho-babble free) true professional that has created many educational avenues for kids that would have been marginalized by the school system. Find another person to harass, let him go about his business of helping kids reach their potential.
#7 Um, #7, have you even read the story in the New York Times ? Are you aware that boys have been coming forward since 1987 ? Are you also aware of statistics that show over 90 % of boys will never ever report the abuse because of the shame involved ? How is it possible that 43 men have identical stories of abuse? Even though none of them knew each other and it wasn't in the papers ? Do you really think it's a cake walk when you file a civil suit for molestation ? Do you have any idea what is entailed in the depositions and the grilling ? It's extremely painful. Lawyers and prosecutors know how to winnow out those that aren't telling the truth.
But BEAR IN MIND -JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS PROMINENT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T BREAK THE LAW. Look at Eliot Spitzerand his prostitutes and various congressman who have made passes at young boys.
I don't know if you have any kids #7, but God help you if one of them is ever molested...
Methinks actually you might be either Levine's wife or Levine who wrote this. Levine is a scam artist. Like many pedophiles he hid behind his power and preyed on vulnerable kids. Shame on you for your atrcious and not very believable posting, #7. Methinks you have something in this fight...Mel.
Oh, yes, are you also aware that Mel GAVE up his license because he'd heard the Medical Board and the cops were sniffing around? Get the facts before you post again, pal.
Dr. Ayres, a child psychiatrist who was a former president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Pscyhiatry was arrested last year for molesting young boys sent to him for therapy. Like Mel's case, over 40 men have come forward to say they were molested.
Reports are now coming out that a number of therapists knew what Dr. Ayres was up to and tried to report him. Childrens Services blocked them because he was a "doctor."
There are dozens and dozens of cases of pediatricians and child psychiatrists molesting kids. There was a guy up in Albany, a pediatrician who was not only molesting kids but taking naked pictures of them.
For a good blog that discusses both the cases of Dr. Ayres and Dr. Levine, go to www.williamayreswatch.blogspot.com
Take some of your own advice. Sounds like you want to condem a man before you even know the facts. Unfortunatly it will probably be a he said she said thing so we will never really know the truth. You can't blame parents for not taking the risk. It will hurt his career guilty or not. I'd be willing to bet that the media found out about this through "victims" side of things. More exposure equals more pressure for him to settle on a larger sum. I hope he fights it. Its will look bad if he settles. Its sad that one false accusation can cost a man his entire lively hood, family,and possibly his lifes work. That being said , if hes guilty then let him rot. But I believe he is innocent.
we all hope this never happens, and when we find out it does, we would like to bury our heads. Look at all the Priest pedifiles who got moved from one location to another by clergymen covering up. No one knows the facts enough to pass a judgement. Hopefully time and patience in discovery will prove one way or the other. It takes courage to come forward. Let's try to think about that as well.
#13: Witch hunt
Nothing more than a witch hunt, that is why it was dropped. They all kept changing their story.
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't President Ike smoke also?For sure he did when he was General Ike there's no doubt about that.It seems to me that you're writng such harsh things about PRESIDENT OBAMA because you and people like you don't want to see him as President and will stop at nothing to discredit him as a human being first and then President of the United States of America.This is what happens when anyone can slender a good man's name and get away with it.you and your people are the saddest type of so called human beings ever to walk the earth.Leave the man alone and let him foucus on getting this country back on track.
Dr. Levine diagnosed me with ADD at the age of 8; I would not have become the strong successful adult that I am without his help. He was never inappropriate in fact he helped me develop self esteem that was lost in school before getting treatment.
The people who blindly defend this guy sicken me.
I know he's guilty. I know from personal experience.
I never repressed the memory.
I told my parents when it happened, and they didn't believe me.
I had resisted the idea of getting tested for learning disabilities, and they thought I was making up stories to get out of it.
When my father saw the news story about Dr. Levine being accused (~20 yrs later), he called me and apologized.
When I pointed my mother to the story, she cried while she apologized.
I am not one of the plaintiffs, though I may step forward at some point.
I also recall a friend at the time (in Jr. High), who somehow found out I was a patient of Dr. Levine's, told me he was as well, and said, "That guy's a pervert".
I never asked him to explain the comment, we never compared notes, but, what do you think motivated him to say that???
It's clear that Dr. Levine has done some great things for children with learning disabilities.
But it's clear to me that he's also a sick man who has done some horrible things to children with learning disabilities.
This is not about false recovered memories. This is not about some ulterior motive, such as "gold digging". This is not about a "misunderstanding" of clinical procedures.
This is about a sick man who took advantage of the same people he became famous for helping - a perfect cover.
Don't tell me it's a witch hunt, it's about money, it's about false memories recovered through flawed therapy. Don't tell me that just because it didn't happen to you or your child that it didn't happen to me.
It did happen to me, and I know the truth.
I'm grateful we, more often than not, don't condemn an individual in anonymous courts with unsubstantiated evidence. When it does happen it's usually as a result of confluence of media and public relations (ie. lawyers and advocates, neither of which constitute the basis of positive jurisprudence).
To be offended that I don't take your word for being victimized is your choice, it's neither here nor there, I could have written the same thing myself or I could also have written that I had some personal insight to the character of the man that I could attest to his innocence, neither of which would be true. That is the nature of the court of public opinion that in the short term it's irrelevant to the reality of a trial.
Beyond not wanting to believe this to be true I also hope that this is not true because of the potential insight that could be lost that otherwise would be used to help generations of developing minds. Josef Mengele taught us, insight can arise from tragic and even horrific means. If this is the case with Dr. Levine then he too doesn't deserve to be called doctor and his punishment should fit his crime(s). But the Rubin Carters and Aristotles of the world should have taught us an equally valuable lesson. The question is it alright in this day and age to err on either side?
Levine voluntarily gave up his medical license. However, he still has access to children through All Kinds of Minds. Why are child protection services allowing this man to be near children? Oprah introduced him to the world. When will she learn to research her guests before giving them her stamp of approval? With that level of influence, she needs to be more responsible.
I believe you. Predators don't abuse every child they meet. I do not understand why this man is not facing criminal charges. Mr. Durso represented victims of child abuse at the hands of Catholic priests. No one wanted to believe that happened, but several of them are now in jail. Why is Levine any different.
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Sounds like gold digging to me.