More than 100 women sue Boston doctor alleging sexual assault

Several lawsuits allege that a Boston-based doctor performed inappropriate exams on women that involved harmful touching and amounted to sexual assault.

A group of women allege in a class action lawsuit that a Boston-based doctor performed inappropriate physical examinations on them that weren’t medically necessary.

The suit alleges that Dr. Derrick Todd — who worked as a rheumatologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital until his departure in July — gave pelvic, breast and rectal exams for his own sexual gratification under the guise of providing medical care to patients. The patients suing say the behavior, which they say included harmful and offensive touching, amounted to sexual assault.

Andrew Meyer, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said more than 100 women have joined the suit. Todd went “well beyond the normal examinations,” Meyer said, and some patients felt coerced into allowing him to undress them and engage in unnecessary breast exams, pelvic exams or both.

“Every one of these women felt that they were alone,” Meyer said.

The complaint, filed Friday, follows two other lawsuits filed against Todd last week. One of those similarly accuses him of sexual assault under the auspices of medical care. Jonathan Sweet, a lawyer at Keches Law Group who filed that suit, said he expects at least 10 of Todd’s former patients to join the case but could not yet give a firm number.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/patients-sue-boston-doctor-alleging-sexual-assault-rcna120817

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