Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 24, 1993 TAG: 9303240272
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CAROLYN CLICK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
DOCTOR TO DEFEND HIMSELF GRAY TO TESTIFY BEFORE STATE BOARD
For five days, Dr. William Gray has sat quietly as more than 50 witnesses have been called on his behalf, defending the former child psychiatrist against charges that he plied his troubled young patients with illegal prescription drugs in exchange for sexual favors.Today, it will be his turn to try to persuade a state Board of Medicine hearing officer that he is the victim of a cruel conspiracy on the part of five former patients who turned on him when he refused to give them money.
Gray's explanation of his medical practice - a practice that included providing apartments and cars for his young male patients and granting them access to his vacation retreats - is pivotal to his quest to retain his medical license.
Gray, 51, already has volunteered to relinquish his license to practice in Virginia in exchange for avoiding a trial on criminal sex-abuse charges brought on behalf of the five young men in Franklin County.
But he is fighting the Board of Medicine's authority to permanently revoke his license. Such action would make it difficult for Gray ever to practice again, even if he moved to another state.
He said Tuesday he continues to believe the board's allegations are politically motivated.
Until charges were brought against him, "I never saw them as a vindictive, retaliatory body out to make a name for themselves," he said.
John Grad, one of Gray's lawyers, said he is satisfied that the witnesses had begun to undermine the state's case against Gray.
"I think what we are showing is this is a bunch of malarkey," said Grad. "It is ridiculous."
Grad acknowledged that Gray's medical practice often blurred the distinctions between doctor and patient, but he said that was necessary for Gray to succeed at treating the psychiatric disorders of youngsters who had been given up on by others.
"There is no rule that thou shalt not take patients into your home," Grad said. "There is no strict code that a doctor shouldn't help out a patient."
In an effort to discredit Gray's accusers, Grad has tried to portray the five as sexually promiscuous, chronic liars who were prone to violent outbursts.
To illustrate that propensity for violence, Wayne Rine, a former patient of Gray's who lived for several years in the basement of Gray's office at 310 Washington Ave., Tuesday described a knife attack by one of the five alleged victims in 1985.
"His anger was exploding and he kept looking around as if he was disoriented," said Rine.
Other witnesses who have testified at the administrative hearing since it reopened last Thursday include members of Roanoke's homosexual community; Gray's wife, Emily; and nurses who worked with Gray before his license was lifted.
After Gray's testimony ends, probably sometime Thursday, the state will call about five rebuttal witnesses, said Carol Russek, an assistant state attorney general.
Those witnesses will seek to poke holes in the conspiracy theory, something Russek said she has tried to do in her cross-examination of the defense witnesses.
The hearing examiner, Patrick County Commonwealth's Attorney Patrick Giorno, will present his findings to the full board in time for members to make a decision on Gray's license at their June meeting.