A Massachusetts doctor, Derrick Todd, is accused of sexually assaulting over 200 patients. He’s now been formally charged with two counts of rape.
Todd, a former specialist in joint and muscle problems (rheumatologist), is accused of giving patients unnecessary pelvic, breast, and rectal exams to sexually assault them... Continue reading here ▶
A grand jury has now indicted him on two rape charges, related to alleged assaults on two women in December 2022 and June 2023.
When he appeared in court, Todd pleaded not guilty. The judge set his bail at $10,000, took away his passport and medical licenses, and ordered him to stay away from the victims and stop practicing medicine.
Lawyers representing over 180 of Todd’s accusers say this is just the start of the criminal case against him. They believe it supports the civil lawsuits they’re pursuing on behalf of his former patients. They say he abused his position of trust for his own sexual gratification.
Todd’s lawyer says he is innocent and they will fight the charges in court.
The accusations against Todd go back to 2010, and his accusers include teenagers and women in their 60s. The initial lawsuit, filed in October 2023, stated that Todd gave inappropriate medical exams, performed gynecological exams without authorization, and sexually assaulted patients under the guise of medical care.
Lawyers for the victims say that as a rheumatologist, Todd should not have been performing breast or vaginal exams.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where Todd worked, says they investigated him along with the medical licensing board. They initially suspended him from his position as Chief of Clinical Rheumatology at Brigham’s Faulkner Hospital.
The hospital expressed deep regret for the harm caused to patients and their families, stating they take patient safety extremely seriously and act decisively on any misconduct allegations.
