Scarborough doctor faces sexual abuse allegations

A Scarborough doctor could see his licence suspended if the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) finds him guilty of professional misconduct for the alleged sexual abuse of a patient.

The allegations against Dr. Chee Choon Lee are that he sexually abused a patient over the course of several years. He’s been under restrictions since January that prohibit him from interacting with female patients without a practice monitor present. He allegedly broke those conditions in May of this year.

On Tuesday, the CPSO’s disciplinary committee heard from the alleged victim – who can’t be named because of a publication ban – that beginning in 2010, Lee started to engage in inappropriate touching. Through an interpreter, she described how Dr. Lee touched her shoulder, while looking at her inappropriately. She claims he didn’t say anything but that his “facial expression was not good.”

“When he touched me, I got away from him so he should know that means I don’t like the way he touched me,” she said through an interpreter.

She further claims that he was inappropriately touching her thigh on another occasion, although she concedes she did see him several times for rheumatoid arthritis in her legs, ankles and throughout her body.

The Protecting Patients Act states that if a discipline committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario finds a doctor guilty of professional misconduct by sexually abusing a patient the panel must revoke their licence.

That revocation kicks in if the sexual abuse consisted of intercourse, masturbation, and/or the touching of the patient’s genitals, anus, breasts or buttocks in a sexual manner.

There are currently 99 doctors scheduled to make an appearance with the CPSO’s discipline committee for a variety of allegations.

Lee’s hearing is expected to last several days.