Minneapolis Psychiatrist Thomas Gratzer Charged with Sexual Abuse Involving a Child

August 31, 2022

Dr. Thomas Gratzer of Edina has been a psychiatrist in the Twin Cities for decades, currently seeing patients in Saint Paul.

But according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County, he's now facing a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The accuser is now an adult woman who came forward and said the alleged abuse began before she entered fourth grade.

An Edina police officer writes in the criminal complaint, "The victim was able to provide significant detail about the abuse, including specific instances."

Officers interviewed people who said they had saw Gratzer "make inappropriate comments to the victim" and that Gratzer "did not understand social cues/boundaries."

Gratzer provided psychological screenings for Minneapolis police officers from 2012 to 2018, but was replaced after an American Public Media article critiqued the department's screening.

Gratzer's work was also critiqued in the aftermath of the police shooting of Justine Ruszczyk.

Former officer Mohamed Noor was screened by Gratzer, who found Noor "reported disliking people and being around them," among other things, but Gratzer still found Noor psychiatrically fit to be an officer.

Reached for comment concerning the rape allegations, Dr. Gratzer said, "In my opinion, the alleged victim's claims are not credible. I'm shocked I was ever charged. I've never had allegations like this before. I'm confident I'll be exonerated."

Source: Lou Raguse, “Former MPD mental fitness screener charged with criminal sexual conduct,” KARE-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Aug. 30, 2022, URL: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/former-mpd-mental-fitness-screener-charged-with-criminal-sexual-conduct/ar-AA11faTQ