A Doctor Allegedly Whispered to His Patient That She Looked Like a ‘Sexy Librarian’
The doctor instructed his patient to stand in front of him. He cupped her crotch and inserted his fingers into her vagina through her clothes, moving his hand repeatedly to her rectal area. Then he squeezed her breasts, according to the formal accusation filed by the Medical Board of California.
The patient, accompanied to the appointment by her 4-year-old granddaughter, asked why that was necessary to diagnose a urinary-tract infection, the board alleged. He told her to let him do his job.
In three other instances, the board alleged that the family doctor, Ramon Fakhoury of California’s Inland Empire, touched patients’ genitals for no medical reason. In 2016, the board handed him 35 months of administrative probation, requiring him, among other things, to have a chaperone when treating females.
Fakhoury did not admit to the allegations, according to his attorney, and criminal charges against him were dropped. If he successfully completes probation next year, he’ll be able to practice without restriction.
With a mission of patient protection and doctor rehabilitation—not punishment—California’s medical board and those in other states make decisions under laws and norms that can seem discordant in the #MeToo
