NWH smear on C.L. doctor

In the Community News column of this morning's Northwest Herald, the paper reports postponement of an emergency hearing on the license of a Crystal Lake doctor. Neither the print edition or the online edition gives the time and location of the emergency hearing.

The doctor ought to sue the Northwest Herald for the smear. As noted in the paper, the Crystal Lake Police did not ever file charges against the doctor; yet it reported the alleged criminal contact with a female patient. And in great detail.

An administrative law judge recommended no action against the doctor. The board (which one?) accepted the recommendation of the judge, and it recommended no action against the doctor. And then the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation decided to suspend the doctor's license for one year.

What's wrong with this picture? Why didn't the Crystal Lake Police file charges? How did the doctor get past the judge and board without discipline?

So there must be serious questions about the testimony of the person who complained. If it's "He said, she said," then the police would file and let a criminal court judge (or jury) decide. Unless the evidence, report and testimony were so weak that there really was no case.

Why would the Northwest Herald report the alleged fondling in such great detail and smear the doctor by name?

I can just hear the phone calls from people wanting appointments with that doctor. "Hello? Is this the office of the doctor who didn't inappropriately touch a patient?"

I'd cancel my subscription to the Northwest Herald, except then I wouldn't be able to cut up the paper every day and write about its so-called "news".

Question: Why doesn't the Northwest Herald allow comments to that online article???