Today’s Worst Doctor Award goes to Joshua Baron, a pediatric neurologist who was just charged with giving out various painkillers in exchange for sex. He advertised these exchanges on Craigslist.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Baron was charged yesterday with trading Xanax, Oxycontin, and other drugs for sex or money. He apparently put up 68 Craigslist ads over the course of 4 years advertising such trades. Police eventually saw the ads, an officer posed as a customer offering sex in exchange for drugs, and Baron was arrested. He’s surrendered his medical license, and is currently free pending trial.
Using Craigslist to advertise your willingness to trade drugs for sex seems exceptionally dumb — especially since Baron appears to have been a sort of pillar of his community. An OakPark.com article (via Willmette Patch) from last year chronicles his family’s efforts to adopt a blind boy from China — says the piece,
The Barons have lived in Oak Park for just over four years, having relocated here from Boston. They already have three biological children but have always wanted to adopt a child at some point in life.
Both are in fields that work with disabled children — Jill a teacher of students with disabilities, Josh a child neurologist — and at some point they started talking about bringing a disabled child into their family.
Jill Baron also maintained a blog about her family, and entries that no doubt once sounded joyful feel sad in light of the allegations against her husband. In December 2010, she wrote this caption on a photo:
Josh looking over his research poster that he is presenting at his conference. I’m so proud of him! Not only his he part of the poster presentation, he is giving a big talk about his research. Wow!
Baron was apparently willing to jeopardize not only his existing family, but also his plans to adopt, with his drug-dealing scheme.
Former Physician Charged With Trading Xanax, Other Drugs, For Sex [Chicago Tribune]