Why Wasn't He Stopped?
The prestigious Institute of Living repeatedly declared Dr. George Reardon safe to practice medicine. Now, the institute says the experts were duped.
By HILARY WALDMAN And DANIEL P. JONES Courant Staff Writers
During the same stretch of time that Dr. George Reardon was allegedly fondling youngsters in his office at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, a psychologist across town at the Institute of Living reached this conclusion:"Dr. Reardon is not a pedophile."Sparked by complaints, the state Department of Public Health — which has the authority to lodge formal charges against doctors and initiate disciplinary hearings — had asked the prestigious institute to examine Reardon to determine whether he was a child molester. A psychiatrist and a psychologist conducted three separate evaluations of Reardon between 1988 and 1993, with each examination spanning several weeks.
"One of the tragedies is the decision of officials at the health department not to proceed [with disciplinary action in 1987]," said Susan Smith, an Avon lawyer who represents about half of Reardon's alleged victims. "They allowed the doctors at the [Institute of Living] to be the judges in the case." |
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