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The doctor-patient relationship is built on trust. That’s particularly true of rheumatologists, who often treat women suffering long-lasting pain from rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders. “Women should try to determine if they feel comfortable with a male provider,” Dr. Derrick Todd said in 2016. “It is an intimate relationship that you have for many, many, many years to come.”
The Globe’s Spotlight team has just published an investigation into a rheumatologist who is alleged to have deeply and repeatedly violated his patients’ trust. That doctor? Derrick Todd.
In recent years, scores of patients have accused Todd of sexually abusing them under the guise of medical treatment. Spotlight’s new investigation, by Liz Kowalczyk and Elizabeth Koh, reveals that the hospitals where Todd practiced, the Massachusetts medical board, and other providers seemingly failed to protect many of Todd’s patients. Here are takeaways.
1. Todd’s accusers number in the hundreds
Nearly 250 of Todd’s former patients say he performed unnecessary or invasive breast and pelvic exams on them — including a kind of therapy that involves putting a finger inside the vagina — ignoring their discomfort or demands that he stop.
The alleged abuse, which began as early as 2011 and lasted until 2023, took place at Brigham and Women’s, a prestigious Harvard-affiliated hospital; Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain; and Charles River Medical Associates in Framingham. Todd, immediately 52, also faces criminal charges for allegedly raping two women during exams. He has pleaded not guilty and in civil suits asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
2. Todd allegedly used his resume and charisma to victimize patients
Several patients who spoke to the Globe described meeting Todd as a revelation. He was well credentialed, friendly, and seemed to take their symptoms seriously. He would call or text to offer appointments, in one case bypassing a monthslong waitlist.
But those traits may have abetted Todd’s alleged abuse. He saw patients early in the morning and late in the day, when his receptionist was gone. Several patients said he targeted young women, asking mothers to make him their daughters’ primary care physicians. Some patients avoided speaking up for fear of losing out on treatment. Others cited his credentials to soothe their own misgivings.
3. Providers allegedly failed to stop Todd from seeing patients
At least 10 patients say they told doctors, nurses, and even Todd’s colleagues about his behavior over the years, yet most of their complaints seem to have gone nowhere. The Brigham finally opened an inquiry in 2023 but continued to let Todd practice. While under investigation, the Globe found, he allegedly abused more than two dozen patients.
4. Two doctors eventually triggered an inquiry
The first was a longtime Boston-area physician whose own daughter told her about Todd’s invasive breast exams. Another doctor reportedly told the Brigham about a different patient who claimed Todd talked about orgasms during an exam.
The Brigham placed Todd on paid leave in June 2023; he resigned the following month. But some of Todd’s patients remained unaware and continued seeing him at Charles River.
5. Providers and state officials say they acted as speedy as they could
State law requires many medical providers to report allegations to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, an independent agency that licenses physicians and investigates complaints against them.
The Brigham says the anonymity of Todd’s first accuser slowed its inquiry, and the state medical board said its rules prevented it from immediately barring Todd from practicing. Charles River denies receiving any complaints about Todd before July 2023, when he saw his final patient there. In lawsuits, Todd’s patients have named dozens of medical professionals they claim knew — or should have known — about his behavior. All of them denied hearing any complaints or didn’t speak with the Globe.
Read more:
- I recommend Liz and Elizabeth’s full, wrenching story, which you can find here. It’s the first in an ongoing Spotlight series, so stay tuned.
- One of the treatments Todd allegedly used is called pelvic floor therapy. It’s usually performed by physical or occupational therapists, and other doctors have also been accused of using it to abuse women.
🧩 5 Down: Mafia boss | 🌤️ 62° Crisp and cool
Downtown revival? JPMorgan Chase & Co. is in talks to lease space at the newly built tower above South Station, a potential boon for Boston’s beleaguered office market.
Immigration crackdown: Federal prosecutors have charged four people in Massachusetts with assaulting or obstructing ICE agents and are investigating nine others. Despite those risks, people have protested outside Boston’s ICE field office for 24 weeks straight.
Market Basket: Ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas is fighting to get his job back, claiming in court that the grocery chain’s board improperly colluded with his sisters when they fired him.
Public health: New Hampshire health officials identified two people who tested positive for tuberculosis and may have exposed others in Manchester and Nashua. And as childhood vaccination rates in the US fall, could the “iron lung” make a comeback?
‘We need closure’: Swampscott authorities exhumed the body of a 15-year-old bludgeoned to death more than 50 years ago after receiving new information in the unsolved case.
Home heating: The Globe’s consumer advocacy columnist explains which factors will determine what you’ll pay for gas this winter.
Trump in court: A judge temporarily blocked the White House from cutting funding to so-called “sanctuary” states, which Massachusetts and 19 other states challenged. Separately, the Justice Department asked a court for more time to file documents in Harvard’s lawsuit over frozen federal aid, citing the shutdown.
Go fund yourself: GBH is aims to raise $225 million from members, donors, and corporate sponsors over the next three years after Republicans cut federal funding for public media.
Floodwatch: This Vermont town has suffered devastating flooding three years in a row. As Trump calls for the less federal involvement in disaster relief, will it get the aid it needs?
Jane Goodall: The soft-spoken conservationist conducted groundbreaking field research that documented chimpanzees’ distinct personalities and use of tools. She died at 91. (NYT 🎁)
🏰 Jousting match: The new owners of King Richard’s Faire are mired in a legal fight after accusing their former landlord of plotting to launch a rival Renaissance festival.
📺 ‘SNL’: The 50-year-old TV mainstay returns on Saturday, when its newest cast members — a gaggle of mega-online youngsters — will get a chance to nudge the show into the future. (Atlantic 🎁)
📚 Fall reading: Enter Dark Academia, novels that bridge back-to-school and spooky seasons. Here are 10 titles our book critic recommends.
❤️ Serious as a…: Heart attack symptoms can be different for women, and are often overlooked. Here’s what to movie for. (HuffPost)
🇩🇪 Is there a German word for this? A Frankfurt-area man won the equivalent of nearly $18 million after discovering the winning lottery ticket in his coat pocket six months after he bought it. (EuroWeekly) If he’d found it sooner he could’ve bought Judge Judy’s Newport home, which just sold for $15.3 million.
Thanks for reading Starting Point.
This newsletter was edited by Heather Ciras.
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Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at ian.philbrick@globe.com.
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