A woman who says she's a survivor of sexual assault by a Boston-based doctor who treated her has filed a civil lawsuit against him and medical institutions where he's practiced, while a law firm said it was representing nearly three dozen other women claiming he assaulted them as well.
Marianne DiTrani spoke at a news conference in Boston Tuesday after filing the lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court against rheumatologist Dr. Derrick Todd, Brigham and Women's Hospital and other organizations, alleging he performed invasive and sexual procedures with no medical purpose and that the organizations knew about it.
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Todd, who was a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, is accused of performing inappropriate pelvic and breast examinations on patients. He's agreed not to practice medicine while a state board investigates a matter involving him.
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Todd reached out to DiTrani to say he'd been recommended to treat her, according to the lawsuit, and that, starting with her first appointment in November, "Todd began subjecting her to a course of predatory grooming, boundary violating, mental, emotional, and physical sexual abuse that was masked by his position of power and authority."
DiTrani said she moved to Massachusetts for the specialized treatment that Todd was supposed to provide for her rare autoimmune conditions, but that he performed sexualized breast and gynecological exams and talked inappropriately about sex. She saw him in person from November to January, then remotely until he allegedly pressured her to return to Massachusetts for more visits in June and July.
"When you trust someone to help you, you see them and you're very vulnerable, and when they violate that trust, and they hurt you instead of heal you, it can be very frightening and not easy to process," DiTrani said at the news conference outside Brigham and Women's Hospital.
NBC10 Boston has reached out to Todd's lawyer and Brigham and Women's Hospital for comment on DiTrani's claims.
She said she was urging other patients of Todd's, some of whom she's spoken with, to come forward. Her lawyers said they suspect there are at least dozens of other patients whom Todd has abused, and another firm, Lubin & Meyer, said Tuesday that its lawyers were representing 34 patients.
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An initial investigation by Brigham and Women's Hospital was reportedly prompted by complaints from two other doctors, after the hospital heard from patients concerned about the examinations they received. Todd was fired over the summer after an investigation.
The hospital notified the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, and documents filed with the state show Todd voluntarily agreed not to practice medicine in Massachusetts or any other state.
According to the Boston Globe, Todd is also facing a medical malpractice lawsuit. An anonymous law enforcement source also told the news outlet that authorities are investigating allegations that Todd sexually assaulted multiple patients.
A lawyer for Todd has previously told NBC10 Boston that he "has not seen the allegations in any lawsuit filed against him," and that, "To the extent that anyone is bringing claims against him, Dr. Todd believes that he has done nothing wrong and will defend against such claims vigorously."
The lawyer also noted that he is cooperating with the Board of Registration in Medicine.
Brigham said it has been reaching out to patients and giving them the opportunity to discuss any concerns they may have about care they received as it continues to investigate allegations against Todd.
“Providing high quality care in a safe environment is our top priority," Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Brigham and Women’s Hospital Dr. Charles Morris said in a statement to NBC10 Boston. "We deeply regret the harm this has caused to our patients and their families. Right now, our focus is on our patients and caring for all of their needs, with the hope of ultimately restoring their trust in health care.”
Patients of Todd who wish to discuss their care can reach out to a call center at 617-732-7081.
A representative for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has previously he couldn't confirm or deny if its prosecutors were investigating Todd.
