A state medical board suspended a Tennessee psychiatrist’s license after she reportedly beat 10 patients with belts and a riding crop. The patients who accused Dr. Valerie Augustus of beating them are Black.
The state launched an investigation after patients complained that their psychiatrist was beating them. One of Dr. Augustus’ patients was a woman who suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. She also had a history of physical abuse.
Dr. Augustus’s lawyer quickly rushed to her defense.
“It was a faux punishment not real punishment. She wasn’t really whacking these people,” said Darrell Baker Jr.
But that’s not what the state said when it suspended her license for a minimum of 60 days. She was also ordered to undergo a mental evaluation, take a medical ethics class and pay $10,000 in civil penalties.