A San Luis Obispo doctor who recently had his medical license suspended consumed methamphetamine in his office and sexually harassed his medical assistant, according to a lawsuit filed by the former employee.
David Jackson Levin, 44, worked as an ear, nose and throat doctor in San Luis Obispo. According to a suspension order from the California Medical Board, his license was provisionally suspended on June 21 because he is “unable to safely practice medicine due to a mental condition.”
A lawsuit filed in May claims Levin sexually harassed his primary medical assistant for nearly four years, using methamphetamine in the office, performing medical procedures incorrectly and taking painkillers he was prescribing, among other allegations.
The lawsuit alleges sexual harassment, sexual assault, sex discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and violations of whistleblower law.
When The Tribune called Levin’s office, a voicemail said the office, located at 100 Casa St. in San Luis Obispo, was permanently closed.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, our office is closed with immediate effect and will not be reopening,” the voicemail read. “This closure was unexpected and we sincerely apologize for the lack of advance notice. Our team is actively working to expedite any referrals to alternative otolaryngology providers in our area.”
When reached by text message asking if he wanted to comment, Levin responded “no.”
Levin has not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
Process lists several accusations against SLO doctor
All allegations in the case against Levin are alleged to have occurred between October 2020 and March 2024.
The medical assistant witnessed Levin perform a variety of unsafe medical practices during that time, the lawsuit said.
Among those unsafe practices was drug use in the office, the suit alleged.
The former medical assistant allegedly witnessed Levin prescribing painkillers to patients before taking the medications himself, snorting powder that appeared to be drugs and using methamphetamine in the office.
On one occasion, the suit says, the medical assistant found a drug pipe in the office that allegedly belonged to Levin. Levin had allegedly previously told the assistant that methamphetamine was his “drug of choice,” the suit said.
In addition to drug use, the suit says, Levin also allegedly used unsterilized equipment on patients, used unsanitary needles after dropping them, performed procedures incorrectly and failed to wear proper protective equipment.
The medical assistant tried to stop Levin from engaging in this misconduct multiple times, the suit said, but was told to “stay out of it.”
The assistant took the drug pipe she found to the office manager and reported the other unsafe practices she observed, the lawsuit says, but nothing was done in response to the report.
Lawsuit: Doctor sexually harassed, beaten, chief medical assistant
In the same lawsuit, the medical assistant said Levin sexually harassed her on multiple occasions over four years.
Levin allegedly told the woman he would have sex with her if he liked women, asked about the size of her husband’s penis and told his 17-year-old son something like trying it “in the ass,” the lawsuit said. .
The suit claims Levin also showed her a photo of himself in lingerie and images of penises and said he would love to “flash” her breasts, the suit said.
He also asked inappropriate questions about the medical assistant’s body, sniffed and pulled her hair, blew in her ear, grabbed and poked her breasts and rubbed himself against her buttocks, the lawsuit said, while repeatedly telling her about his encounters. sexual.
The suit claims Levin also told her she had a double chin, told her she shouldn’t eat chocolate because she would gain weight and advised her that she needed to exercise more.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was “shocked and appalled” by Levin’s unwanted behavior and asked him to stop being inappropriate each time this behavior happened.
Assistant threatened to report doctor to medical board and was fired, lawsuit said
According to the lawsuit, the medical assistant told Levin she would report him to the state medical board in February, but Levin told the assistant no one would believe her.
About a month later, the suit says, Levin fired the medical assistant citing “financial challenges.”
That’s when the woman reported Levin to the medical board, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit claims the woman’s firing was in retaliation for her threat to report Levin to the medical board.
Levin’s conduct caused the woman to suffer physical and emotional suffering, the lawsuit states, including nervousness, humiliation, depression, anguish, embarrassment, fright, shock, pain and anxiety.
She also lost wages and other compensatory benefits when she was fired, the suit alleged.
Doctor accused of incorrectly removing patient’s nerves
In a separate lawsuit filed in May 2022, a former patient of Levin’s, Amy Lessi, said he botched a nasal surgery she underwent, causing her to lose her taste and smell.
Lessi filed suit against Levin and ENT Medical and Surgical Care, French Hospital Medical Center and anesthesiologist Jesse Rohde for negligence, assault and loss of consortium in May 2022.
In April 2019, the lawsuit said Lessi underwent nasal repair surgery to relieve sinus pain and chronic sinusitis, a condition that causes inflamed and swollen sinuses.
The lawsuit states that after the surgery, Lessi lost his taste and smell. Levin told Lessi at several follow-ups that she was not differentiating flavors or that her senses would eventually return, the lawsuit said.
But when Lessi received a second opinion from a different doctor, the suit says, she realized that her olfactory nerves had been removed without her knowledge or consent, resulting in the loss of her senses of taste and smell.
According to responses filed in court in September and October 2022, Levin, French Hospital Medical Center and Rohde declined all charges.
Lessi’s attorney, Tyler Saldo, confirmed what court records show, that the hospital and Rohde were dropped from the case in late 2023, but Levin is scheduled to go to trial in the case in April 2025.
Saldo said the case is currently in litigation.
