Former Patient Accuses Bay Area Psychiatrist Andrew T. Nadell of Raping Her When She was 13

July 27, 2021

The Medical Board of California has accused a Burlingame psychiatrist of sexual misconduct, exploitation and abuse after investigating allegations that he raped a 13-year-old patient and forced her to perform other sexual acts in 2009.

William Prasifka, executive director of the medical board, detailed the allegations in a document filed with the board on July 7, in an effort to revoke or suspend the medical license of Dr. Andrew Thomas Nadell.

According to the filing, the patient alleged that Nadell repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2009 while she was undergoing treatment for depression in a psychiatric facility during a 72-hour hold.

Nadell denied the allegations in a response filed with the board and requested a hearing. No hearing date had yet been set as of Friday.

“Dr. Nadell denies any wrongdoing,” said his attorney, Thomas Still. “The confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship prevents both myself and Dr. Nadell from commenting any further on this.”

Officials with the medical board became aware of the allegations in February 2019, according to the filing. Prasifka submitted the allegations this month after an investigation.

Nadell has not been charged with a crime in the case.

Records show Nadell practiced at an office on the 1800 block of El Camino Real in Burlingame and at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, a Sutter Health affiliate.

Sutter Health did not respond to requests for comment.

Medical Board of California spokesperson Carlos Villatoro said the board would not comment on any pending cases.

The report alleges, based on information it received, that Nadell forced the patient to orally copulate him during the hospital intake process. The next morning, Nadell allegedly told the patient that if he ever heard her talking about anything sexual, he would call her school and tell it that her “favorite female teacher was the one who was doing inappropriate things with (her).”

According to the filing, the patient said Nadell saw her four times during her psychiatric hold, and that on another occasion, he forced her to orally copulate him again — after which she vomited and was forced to repeat the act. The patient also recalled Nadell climbing on top of her and raping her, in her patient bed, the document said.

Nadell said during the investigation that he could not remember the patient, called her case “unremarkable” and said he had no “particular memory” of her, according to Prasifka’s filing. But he also told investigators the girl had serious depressive symptoms and was, in his opinion, suicidal, the report said.

Source: Annie Vainshtein, “Former patient accuses Bay Area psychiatrist of raping her at age 13, state medical board alleges,” San Francisco Chronicle, July 24, 2021, URL: https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Former-patient-accuses-Bay-Area-psychiatrist-of-16337355.php