The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)

July 10, 1998 Friday
WARREN EDITION

Psychiatrist shuts down office over sexual misconduct charge

BYLINE: Bill Swayze, Star-Ledger Staff

SECTION: COUNTY NEWS; Pg. 25

LENGTH: 374 words

A Morristown psychiatrist accused of sexual misconduct by a female patient has voluntarily closed his practice pending a hearing next month before the state Board of Medical Examiners.
The state Attorney General’s Office will try to permanently revoke the license of Dr. Robert Levin over charges the 49-year-old psychiatrist called “highly misleading and inaccurate.”
“I think the woman is a person with great integrity and honesty . . . but what she is saying is not true. She is mistaken,” Levin said yesterday. “I do deny all the allegations.”
The female patient, according to a copy of the charges, began seeing Levin in March. She alleges an April treatment session went awry when Levin became aroused, pulled her close to him and professed his love to her, according to the complaint.
The woman, identified only as “J.C.” in the papers, claims she left his office horrified. Later that night, Levin called her, apologized and sent her two facsimile transmissions in which he admits to his actions, according to the complaint.
The very next night, however, Levin called the woman and told her he gets aroused when he thinks about her, the complaint says. Despite her telling the psychiatrist five days after the first incident that she no longer wanted to continue therapy with him, the complaint claimed Levin continued to call her at home and write her letters.
The state Attorney General’s Office regards the acts as malpractice, sexual and professional misconduct and an abuse of the doctor-patient relationship during psycho-therapeutic treatment, according to the complaint.
The hearing before the state Board of Medical Examiners is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Levin, of Bernardsville, is married and has a 3-year-old daughter. He must undergo a psychiatric evaluation as part of the interim agreement reached with the state Attorney General’s Office.
“These are pretty serious allegations,” Levin said, adding he looks forward to clearing his name. “It is unfortunate this sort of thing happens, but it happens. It is one of the risks of the business.”
Levin said he has been a practicing physician since 1979, relocating to the state in 1981 and opening his Morristown office sometime between 1987 and 1989. He declined further comment.