Medical board suspends 'dancing doctor' Windell Boutte's medical license

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has learned the Georgia Composite Medical Board has suspended the medical license of embattled dermatologist Dr. Windell Davis-Boutte.

The medical board has had evidence of allegations against Boutte for nearly two years, according to attorney Susan Witt, who represents several former Boutte patients.

Thursday morning, the Georgia Medical Composite Board handed down an order of suspension for the Gwinnett County doctor.

"The board finds that (Boutte's) continued practice of medicine poses a threat to the public health, safety and welfare and imperatively requires emergency action," the order reads.

That order comes one day after state investigators interviewed Sherita Cox at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Cox has been in the hospital for seven days receiving treatment for a collapsed lung after undergoing three procedures by Boutte on May 30. Her daughter, Alysia Barber, said the family called an ambulance when her mother wouldn’t stop bleeding.

"I honestly thought I was going to lose my mom," Barber told Channel 2's Jim Strickland. She said the family filed a complaint with the state medical board after Cox was hospitalized.

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Medical board chairperson Dr. Dan DeLoach credited Channel 2's investigation into Boutte for lending to the action by the board.

“As a result of some of the information that you have brought forward, that has created a lot of activity and a lot of phone calls from patients about this issue and about this concern,” DeLoach said.

The order of suspension also cites former Boutte patients Icilma Cornelius, Mitzi McFarland, and Kristine Dolly, who were featured in Channel 2's original investigation into Boutte last month.

Barber told Strickland if the board acted sooner her mother would not be hospitalized.

“This could have been prevented, you know,” Barber said. “The pain that these families, that trusted her are going through, that could have been prevented.”

There are currently six pending lawsuits against Boutte, and several settlements. Attorneys estimate more than 100 patients have come forward with complaints against the doctor.

Videos Channel 2 obtained of Boutte dancing and singing during procedures have gone viral. In an interview with cable network Headline News, Boutte said the videos were planned and patients consented.

“I use music and in these instances, these were all consented videos. They were staged. They were planned,” Boutte told Headline News Anchor Mike Galanos.

But former Boutte patient Latoyah Archine Rideau told Strickland she never signed a form authorizing Boutte to post pictures or videos of Archine's procedure on social media.

A picture of the form she showed Strickland showed the signature line blank. Another former patient, Monte Jackson, showed Strickland the “N/A” she put on her authorization to make sure no one else could fill in a forgery. A lawsuit filed in DeKalb State Court late May against Boutte made a similar claim.

According to the medical board, Boutte has 14 days to request an appeal hearing. Attorneys for Boutte previously declined a sit-down interview with Strickland. A spokesperson did not respond to Channel 2’s requests.

Cox Media Group