Distinguished doctor resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations

WAKEFIELD (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - An internationally renowned expert on eating disorders employed by Massachusetts General Hospital has resigned amid allegations of reported sexual misconduct.

The state Board of Registration in Medicine took disciplinary action against Dr. David B. Herzog on Wednesday.

The board accepted his resignation of his medical license, along with the medical license of Dr. Kathaleen A. Porter.

With this resignation, both physicians surrender their licenses to practice medicine, and they surrender any medical licenses to practice in any other state. Both Dr. Herzog and Dr. Porter will never seek licensure elsewhere.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mass. General says that Dr. Herzog was told not to see patients when the allegations surfaced. He has held a nonclinical position at the hospital during the investigation. Now that the board has accepted his resignation, the hospital will decide an "appropriate course" of action.

Dr. Herzog is a 1973 graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico School of Medicine. He is board certified in Psychiatry and Pediatrics, and has been licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts since 1975.

Dr. Porter is a 1980 graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine. She is board certified in Surgery and has been licensed to practice in Massachusetts since 1985.

Mass. General's full statement:

"Massachusetts General Hospital always takes allegations against any of its physicians seriously. The hospital was surprised and saddened to learn about the allegations against David Herzog, MD, an internationally renowned authority in the field of eating disorders. When the allegations were made known, the hospital asked Dr. Herzog to refrain from seeing patients at MGH. Following the findings of the magistrate in June 2012, the MGH asked and Dr. Herzog agreed to take an administrative  leave of absence.  He currently has a nonclinical appointment at Massachusetts General Hospital, which permits him to conduct research with no patient contact.  Now that the Board of Registration in Medicine has accepted his resignation, MGH will determine an appropriate course."

Cox Media Group