Pediatrician fondled teens during exams, Mississippi officials say. Now he’s charged
A University of Mississippi Medical Center doctor accused of groping teen patients has been charged and temporarily stripped of his medical license, multiple outlets report.
Dr. Mehul Dixit, 59, a pediatric nephrologist, was arrested Thursday, May 11, and charged with two counts of sexual battery, WAPT reported.
In a summons, Mississippi’s State Board of Medical Licensure cited evidence it said showed allowing Dixit to continue his practice “... would constitute an immediate danger to public health and safety,” according to the Associated Press.
A hearing is scheduled for May 18 to determine if his license will remain suspended, the news service reported.
McClatchy News reached out to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for comment May 16 and was awaiting a response.
Documents from the board accused Dixit of inappropriately touching the teens on at least three occasions during physical exams, according to WLBT. The first patient filed a complaint in July 2016, saying the doctor fondled her during an exam for kidney stones in Florida, the documents showed.
Two similar incidents involving Dixit were reported at UMMC in 2013 and February 2023, WAPT reported, citing board investigators.
A second patient, who was 13 years old at the time, accused him of groping her breasts and touching her vaginal area “with an ungloved hand,” the board said, as reported by the station. The girl said her mom and a nurse were in the exam room at the time but couldn’t see what Dixit was doing from their vantage point.
The third alleged incident involved a 17-year-old who also said Dixit touched her vagina, WLBT reported.
An attorney for the kidney specialist said he’s been fired from UMMC and will stop practicing medicine, according to the Associated Press.
This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 4:02 PM with the headline "Pediatrician fondled teens during exams, Mississippi officials say. Now he’s charged."