Psychiatrist testifies in dentist's defense
State dental board holding public hearing
KAREN GARLOCH
Staff Writer
RALEIGH - An Atlanta psychiatrist testified Sunday she doesn't think Dr. John Hall, a Cornelius dentist accused of injecting semen into the mouths of six female patients, has a psychiatric illness or an interest in deviant sex.
Dr. Tracey Irvin, of the Behavioral Medicine Institute, told a panel of the N.C. Board of Dental Examiners that she evaluated Hall for three days in November and also talked with three of his employees and reviewed dental board investigation records.
"I did not feel that the information that I had supported that he had been involved with what he had been accused of," Irvin said. But she added she found Hall "very intrusive" and "overly familiar."
"I suspect that the loose boundaries that we were observing in my office were also happening in his office setting," she said, adding that could be a "major contributor to him being in his current situation."
The dental board suspended Hall's license Nov. 5 after Cornelius police began investigating allegations by three former Hall employees. They became suspicious of Hall's behavior in May 2003 and collected five syringes from the office. They were later found to contain his semen.
In February, the board restored Hall's license with conditions, including the requirement that he cannot be alone with female patients. Meanwhile, the board scheduled a public hearing on whether the dentist violated the profession's standard of care, engaged in "immoral conduct," and committed "sexual assault or battery" by his actions.
Hall's lawyers say the dentist has been falsely accused by disgruntled former employees. He and his wife have been present throughout the hearing.
Five patients testified Friday that Hall injected an awful tasting substance in their mouths. A 14-year-old patient is expected to testify, in private, to a similar experience.
Irvin, who testified on the hearing's third day and was the first witness called by Hall's lawyers, acknowledged she had not interviewed any patients. She said she revised her original recommendations for Hall, adding more restrictions, after hearing some of the testimony.
She told the board she thought Hall could practice "with a reasonable degree of safety to his patients" if he gets psychological counseling about appropriate boundaries "as far as the joking with sexual undertones, being too friendly and familiar with people."
She said he should have a mandatory chaperone, that his therapist should make regular reports to the board, that his staff should monitor his behavior and that he should take a lie-detector test every six months.
Irvin said the Behavioral Medicine Institute treats doctors, dentists, lawyers, teachers, clergy and other professionals who are accused of drug abuse, sex offenses and other misconduct.
Also Sunday, Hall's defense attorneys called David Cloutier, a retired Goldsboro police captain and trainer with the N.C. Justice Academy, who testified the Cornelius police mishandled the Hall investigation because of poor communication and a lack of appropriate documentation.
Under cross-examination, Cloutier agreed with board attorney Douglas Brocker that he had "not seen anything that would compromise the integrity of this investigation."
The hearing continues Thursday and is expected to run through Saturday or Sunday. The board holds its hearing on weekends so the panel members don't have to miss as much work.
State dental board holding public hearing
KAREN GARLOCH
Staff Writer
RALEIGH - An Atlanta psychiatrist testified Sunday she doesn't think Dr. John Hall, a Cornelius dentist accused of injecting semen into the mouths of six female patients, has a psychiatric illness or an interest in deviant sex.
Dr. Tracey Irvin, of the Behavioral Medicine Institute, told a panel of the N.C. Board of Dental Examiners that she evaluated Hall for three days in November and also talked with three of his employees and reviewed dental board investigation records.
"I did not feel that the information that I had supported that he had been involved with what he had been accused of," Irvin said. But she added she found Hall "very intrusive" and "overly familiar."
"I suspect that the loose boundaries that we were observing in my office were also happening in his office setting," she said, adding that could be a "major contributor to him being in his current situation."
The dental board suspended Hall's license Nov. 5 after Cornelius police began investigating allegations by three former Hall employees. They became suspicious of Hall's behavior in May 2003 and collected five syringes from the office. They were later found to contain his semen.
In February, the board restored Hall's license with conditions, including the requirement that he cannot be alone with female patients. Meanwhile, the board scheduled a public hearing on whether the dentist violated the profession's standard of care, engaged in "immoral conduct," and committed "sexual assault or battery" by his actions.
Hall's lawyers say the dentist has been falsely accused by disgruntled former employees. He and his wife have been present throughout the hearing.
Five patients testified Friday that Hall injected an awful tasting substance in their mouths. A 14-year-old patient is expected to testify, in private, to a similar experience.
Irvin, who testified on the hearing's third day and was the first witness called by Hall's lawyers, acknowledged she had not interviewed any patients. She said she revised her original recommendations for Hall, adding more restrictions, after hearing some of the testimony.
She told the board she thought Hall could practice "with a reasonable degree of safety to his patients" if he gets psychological counseling about appropriate boundaries "as far as the joking with sexual undertones, being too friendly and familiar with people."
She said he should have a mandatory chaperone, that his therapist should make regular reports to the board, that his staff should monitor his behavior and that he should take a lie-detector test every six months.
Irvin said the Behavioral Medicine Institute treats doctors, dentists, lawyers, teachers, clergy and other professionals who are accused of drug abuse, sex offenses and other misconduct.
Also Sunday, Hall's defense attorneys called David Cloutier, a retired Goldsboro police captain and trainer with the N.C. Justice Academy, who testified the Cornelius police mishandled the Hall investigation because of poor communication and a lack of appropriate documentation.
Under cross-examination, Cloutier agreed with board attorney Douglas Brocker that he had "not seen anything that would compromise the integrity of this investigation."
The hearing continues Thursday and is expected to run through Saturday or Sunday. The board holds its hearing on weekends so the panel members don't have to miss as much work.
