Peter C. Harvey, Attorney General

Division of Consumer Affairs
Reni Erdos, Director

For Immediate Release:
December 4, 2003

For Further Information Contact:
Genene Morris, Jeff Lamm
973-504-6327

NEWARK - The State of New Jersey filed an administrative complaint yesterday seeking revocation of the medical license of Dr. Michael C. LaFon, a Gloucester County physician who is facing multiple counts of sexual contact involving patients, Attorney General Peter C. Harvey and Division of Consumer Affairs Director Reni Erdos said.

LaFon, whose license was temporarily suspended by the Board of Medical Examiners in July, is currently barred from practicing medicine and from prescribing or dispensing medications, including controlled dangerous substances, in New Jersey.

The Board's order and the State's complaint came after LaFon was arrested twice in July and charged with three counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree and one count of lewdness. The criminal charges stem from LaFon's treatment of patients.

"The alleged activities of this doctor represent a gross deviation from acceptable standards of care and a shocking abuse of the doctor-patient relationship," Attorney General Harvey said.

"This doctor does not deserve the privilege of holding a medical license in New Jersey. That is why we have taken this action," Director Erdos said.

The State's eight-count complaint alleges that LaFon engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior during his treatment of one employee and seven female patients who ranged in age from 19 to 55.

The State's complaint alleges that LaFon inappropriately touched patients with his hands and/or mouth about the neck, shoulders, back, legs and/or breasts absent any medical justification. The inappropriate contact allegedly took place during the course of the patients' visits to his office at Wenonah Medical Associates at 107 East Mantua Ave., Wenonah.

In addition, the complaint alleges, LaFon made comments to patients during visits to his office that were sexual in nature. In certain instances, the complaint alleges, the doctor telephoned patients to make sexual comments or to extend an invitation to a party where he implied illegal street drugs would be available.

On other occasions, the complaint alleges, LaFon:

• pulled down his pants to expose his buttocks;
  
  
• masturbated in front of a patient;
  
  
• made inappropriate comments to a patient about another patient's buttocks;
  
  
• engaged in sexual intercourse with one of his patients on multiple occasions;
  
  
• showed pornographic pictures to a patient and an employee; and
  
  
• attempted to encourage an employee to appear in a pornographic movie with a male patient and his wife.

Also, the complaint alleges, LaFon engaged in repeated acts of malpractice and professional misconduct by failing to record treatment of a patient to whom he had given birth control in the form of an injection, and prescribing physical therapy and an MRI evaluation for a patient without performing a physical examination on her.

In addition to seeking the maximum penalty of revocation of LaFon's license, the State also seeks an order directing LaFon to undergo psychological or psychiatric evaluation, imposition of monetary penalties and payment of restitution and State's costs.

Deputy Attorney General Megan K. Matthews of the Division of Law is handling this matter for the State.