The Boston Globe
2 psychiatrists accused of abuse lose Mass. licenses
By Alison Bass
November 14, 1989

— Excerpt

…Paul Walters, former head of Harvard University’s mental health services, permanently surrendered his medical license in Massachusetts last month rather than face public hearings accusing him of sexual misconduct. Walters told the board he would also surrender his medical license in California, but officials there said yesterday he has not yet done so…

In the past year, nine Massachusetts psychiatrists have been charged by the state medicine board with having had improper sexual contact with patients. So far, five have either permanently surrendered their licenses to practice medicine or the license has been revoked.

In its formal complaint, the board charged that Walters, while at Harvard, had sex with a woman in his office, sometimes twice a week, for nine years. Last year, Walters reached an out-of-court settlement in excess of $ 200,000 in a medical malpractice case brought by the woman.

Walters left Harvard in 1983 to become director of Student Health Services at Stanford University. Stanford officials said Walters retired from his post there last June after the sexual misconduct charges became public…