Why Tell this Story
Marital infidelity and its effect on the families touched by it is nothing new or unusual, of course. But this account is unique for several reasons and there are valuable life lessons to be learned. This case gained national acclaim due to the legal precedent of the case and the publicity that resulted from nation-wide news coverage of the legalities, including the airing of the story on a segment of ABC’s 20/20 program in 1985. It’s a true story unlike any other ever told, with salacious details recorded by wiretap.
The Companion Podcast
The events happened 45 years ago, but due to the indecent content of the wiretap recordings, the explicit details of the story were kept under wraps largely because of the tender ages of the two children in the story; the content of which would have been detrimental to them in their formative years. The family court judge sealed the files, including the tapes and the transcriptions of those tapes for the protection of the children. And, only now – 45 years later – is the complete story being revealed.
The doctor in this story was controlling, domineering, and manipulative, with an attitude of entitlement. The most powerful element at play was this doctor’s overpowering influence which he used to advantage and ingratiate himself. He had a compulsion for pornography and a corresponding addiction to sex, stemming from his obsession with pornography. He was a lifelong sexual predator with power and authority whose vile exploits had devastating effects on everyone in his sphere. As revealed by patients and former employees, he used his power to leverage himself with females for purposes having nothing to do with the reasons a woman visits her gynecologist. He preyed on unsuspecting and vulnerable women, exploiting his status as a doctor in highly unethical fashion – all corroborated by witness testimony and Medical Board Ethics conclusions, publicized in newspaper accounts, tv news coverage and in court and Medical Board documents.
Ultimately, due to his unethical and lewd actions, marriages were destroyed, including mine and even his own, leaving children in broken homes. Because this kind of behavior persists to this day in others who follow this same path, it is important to see how these unscrupulous professionals operate. The disclosure of the details of this story serves to illustrate the devastation that occurs when there is no resistance to conduct like this. So, ultimately, this story exposes the behavior and its consequences and it emphasizes the importance of recognizing this kind of bad conduct for what it is and having the fortitude to resist it; or having the courage to stand up to it.
While the actions of the two antagonists in this story were brazen and horrendous, justice ultimately prevailed; and the story raises awareness that these things can happen – that they do happen – and will continue to happen to others when people, like this doctor, have a pathway into your life. It was the pathway that my wife made possible for him. Undoubtedly, the elements of this chronicle have been repeated countless times since this story occurred, and are already in process again, now, somewhere else by others, like the doctor in this story, to some other unsuspecting family, with similar devastating results in wait. Gaining an awareness, the vision of the possibility of this series of events happening in one’s life, may be the most important benefit to be derived from this account, and the very reason this story needs to be told. I’ve shared these facts in hopes of enlightening, empowering, and forewarning others of these things.
And, why Tell this Story Now. As indicated in the book, for me to take this story to my grave would be derelict, irresponsible and an injustice to my fellow man. I’ve already waited too long for many to benefit by my having postponed the telling of this tale. It would be a travesty for humanity for this story to be kept under wraps, where it has been for all these many years now, and to go untold.