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Pediatrician Sued By Teen Patient

February 3, 2006

A 16-year-old boy has sued Dr. Bill Schnall, a Shoreline pediatrician. Schnall's license has been suspended by the state since August after allegations he had improper relationships with several adolescent male patients.

The medical-malpractice lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court in Seattle, also names Schnall's former clinic, Richmond Pediatric Clinic, and claims that Schnall improperly prescribed psychiatric medication and attempted to groom the boy for sexual contact.

The lawsuit is the first civil suit that has been filed against Schnall. It does not specify how much money the youth is seeking.

The boy, identified in the lawsuit as 'John Doe, Jr.,' claims Schnall took him into a dark closet to examine his genitals with a flashlight.

The lawsuit also alleged Schnall directed the teen to lie naked on a treatment table during examinations without a covering garment, and that Schnall met with the teen outside the office, called and e-mailed him, and elicited detailed discussions about sexual matters.

The suit claims Schnall became 'integrally involved' in the life of the teen, who was 'high-risk and vulnerable,' with a 'complicated' health and psychiatric background, and failed to maintain a proper physician-patient boundary.

The lawsuit doesn't specify exactly when the alleged improper contact occurred. It says the boy was Schnall's patient from age 2 or 3 until he was 15.

The state Medical Quality Assurance Commission has charged Schnall, a former Shoreline School Board president, with multiple instances of unprofessional conduct, accusing the doctor of crossing doctor-patient boundaries with several young, male patients.