Doctor suspended for sexual contact with medical students

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This article was published 15/08/2018 (2080 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg oncologist has been suspended for six months after being found guilty of professional misconduct for abusing his position as a teacher to initiate unwanted sexual contact with two male students.

Dr. Gary Harding, who was also the associate dean of medicine and an associate professor at the University of Manitoba, has also been banned from being “directly responsible for the supervision, overseeing or teaching of any medical learners, including residents or medical students from the College of Medicine at any time.”

As well, if Harding comes in contact with students who are under the supervision of other doctors, he can’t talk to them except to get information about specific patients or when a medical learner themselves initiates a conversation about a specific patient.

Harding’s suspension, which also includes paying $125,000 for the costs of the investigation and inquiry by Jan. 31, 2021, began on May 29 at midnight.

The decision was released on July 31, but didn’t become publicly known until it was posted on the website of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba earlier this week.

Dr. Anna Ziomek, the college’s registrar, said in a statement that the decision “reflects the extremely serious nature of the misconduct of Dr. Harding and the important role that the College can, and has played, in protecting the public, even when the misconduct did not involve a traditional doctor/patient relationship.”

Ziomek noted the decision called Harding’s misconduct “gravely serious and deeply troubling” and his behaviour “self-indulgent, narcissistic and exploitive”.

She said Harding has already not practised as a doctor since June 2015, when the allegations first came forward to the College.

That’s when Harding resigned from the university’s Faculty of Medicine and CancerCare Manitoba fired him shortly after.

Harding has not practised medicine here or in anywhere else since then.

A former patient of Harding’s expressed disappointment after hearing about the doctor’s misconduct.

“He’s a very talented physician, and as a patient I felt I received excellent care,” the former patient said.

“It’s very disappointing to hear his career has been derailed In this manner.”

It’s the second University of Manitoba faculty member in little more than a year who has left their position after inappropriate contact with students.

Former jazz studies professor Steve Kirby quietly retired from the university last June after a 14-year career when sexual harassment allegations came forward.

It was later learned Kirby was hired by the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, but he was quickly fired after that school launched an investigation into his past behaviour.

In a statement in response to the College’s actions against Harding, the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine said the school “provides a number of different mechanisms for students to report any professional misconduct, sexual harassment or discrimination.

“The University of Manitoba takes sexual violence allegations seriously and acts on any disclosure. We are committed to supporting individuals who disclose and building a culture of safety, respect, consent, prevention and education.”

Harding received his medical degree from the U of M in 2000 and later his medical oncology certificate from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 2005. He has been registered as a specialist since 2006.

The College’s inquiry hearing was told Harding initiated inappropriate conduct with the first student between Nov. 2012 and Aug. 2013, including initiating unwanted sexual contact, pursuing an inappropriate relationship, giving personal gifts, and paying for a trip to New York City with him.

Since the relationship ended, the medical student has not been able to return to school because the events were “extremely traumatic” to him.

Harding’s relationship with the second student began Nov. 2013. It also included unwanted sexual contact, gifts, pursuing an inappropriate intimate relationship, and paying for a trip to Vancouver with him.

After the relationship ended in June 2014, Harding continued to harass the student to the point he hired a lawyer to help him make the harassment stop.

Harding could not be reached for comment.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca