Thomas Radecki Explained
Thomas Radecki |
Nationality: | American |
Known For: | Criminal activity, opposition to portrayals of violence |
Occupation: | psychiatrist |
Thomas Edward Radecki (born 1946)[1] is an American former psychiatrist, founding member of the National Coalition on Television Violence, and convicted criminal. He is known for his controversial views on the effects of portrayals of violence on teens and his opposition to depictions of violence in any form. He was later convicted of abusing his position as a doctor to commit sexual offenses; he was accused of trading prescription of opioids in exchange for sex with female patients. He is serving an 11- to 22-year prison sentence.
Education
He attended Ohio State College of Medicine, class of 1973,[2] where he received his MD. His postgraduate education was done at the Philadelphia General Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
He received his Juris Doctor degree after studies at the Oklahoma City University School of Law (1995-1996), and the Southern Illinois University School of Law (1996-1998).
Career
He was licensed to practice as a doctor in West Virginia (1977-1979) and Kentucky.
In 1985 Radecki cited a fictitious letter written by a character in the novel Mazes and Monsters as "proof" that the game Dungeons & Dragons had caused the death of gamers.[3] Radecki said in 1987 that "There is no doubt in my mind that the game Dungeons and Dragons is causing young men to kill themselves and others."[4] In 1987 he testified as an expert on the effects of Dungeons & Dragons on behalf of Darren Molitor (convicted of murder in 1985) at an appeal, along with Patricia Pulling. The court rejected his testimony.[5] He also testified in at least 12 other cases, all unsuccessfully.
It later emerged that his claims of being on the faculty of the University of Illinois College of Medicine were based solely in being listed as "clinical faculty" (signifying that he was accredited to practice at a teaching hospital). He continued to claim this faculty status for years after accreditation was removed in 1985.[6]
In March 1992, the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation revoked his medical license for a five-year minimum as a result of "allegations of inappropriate sexual activity by Dr. Radecki with one of his female patients.".[7]
Radecki resigned from NCTV, turning it over to a colleague, Carole Lieberman. His request for early reinstatement of his license was rejected, following complaints about his Surrogate Parenting Institute, a fertility clinic. His license was restored in 2002,[8] and he was placed on probation, which ended in 2008.[9]
He was also research director for the International Coalition Against Violent Entertainment, which published a 1988 study of films and the level of violence therein,[10] as well as a board member of the Parents Music Resource Center.[11]
He has advocated for the use of Tramadol as a replacement of Suboxone.[12]
In September 2012, Radecki voluntarily surrendered his Pennsylvania medical license while facing allegations of unprofessional conduct with patients. These allegations included that Radecki traded drugs to patients for sex.[13]
In August 2013, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced Radecki's arrest for over-prescribing, trading opioid-addiction treatment drugs for sex[14] through a program he ran in several counties called "Doctors & Lawyers for a Drug Free Youth". In June 2016, he was sentenced to an 11- to 22-year prison term as a result of the case.[15] In February 2018, a judge rejected a request that his sentence be reduced because of his age and because of what Radecki claimed was improperly introduced evidence in his case.[16]
Articles
- Thomas E. Radecki, "Violent Behavior Images Diet of Media Violence", Social Alternatives, May 1987, pp. 8–21
- Radecki . Thomas E. . C. Dianne Zdunich . Winter 1993 . Tobacco Sales to Minors in 97 US and Canadian Communities . Tobacco Control . 2 . 4 . 300–305 . 10.1136/tc.2.4.300 . 20206915 . 1759291.
- Radecki . Thomas E. . 1994 . The sales of lottery tickets to minors in Illinois . Journal of Gambling Studies . 10 . 3 . 213–218 . 10.1007/BF02104963 . 24234919 . 8373793.
- DiFranza . Joseph R. . Peck, Richard M. . Radecki, Thomas E. . Savageau, Judith A. . February 2001 . What Is the Potential Cost-Effectiveness of Enforcing a Prohibition on the Sale of Tobacco to Minors? . Preventive Medicine . 32 . 2 . 168–174 . 10.1006/pmed.2000.0795 . 11162343.
- Radecki . T. E . 9 July 2005 . Calcium and vitamin D in preventing fractures: Vitamin K supplementation has powerful effect . BMJ . 331 . 7508 . 108 . 10.1136/bmj.331.7508.108 . 558626 . 16002893.
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: West Virginia Board of Medicine Licensee Search . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112308/http://www.wvbom.wv.gov/licenseSearch.asp?QueueNumber=0&Radio=1&keywordLast=&keywordFirst=a&profession=&Category=NAME&Descending=&CurrentPage=462&TotalPages=642&PageSize=20&IndividualID=9564 . 28 January 2015 . dmy-all.
- Web site: Thomas E Radecki, MD . live . https://archive.today/20130208231549/http://www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_Thomas_Radecki . 8 February 2013 . 18 May 2012 . Vitals.com.
- Hicks, Robert D. In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the Occult Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1991; p. 288
- Book: Witwer, Michael . Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons . 2015 . Bloomsbury Publishing . 9781632862044 . 150.
- Web site: FindACase - 03/31/87 State Missouri v. Darren Molitor . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140429061619/http://mo.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19870331_0024.MO.htm/qx . 29 April 2014 . 18 May 2012 . mo.findacase.com.
- Book: Joseph Laycock . Dangerous Games: What the Moral Panic Over Role-Playing Games Says about Play, Religion, and Imagined Worlds . 12 February 2015 . Univ of California Press . 978-0-520-28491-3 . 135.
- Dec 25, 1992 . Down the Tubes . bot: unknown . Entertainment Weekly . 150–151 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090607213732/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312826,00.html . 7 June 2009 . 11 July 2022.
- Web site: Tony Sanders . May 2002 . Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Disciplinary Report for May 2002 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121103051615/http://www.idfpr.com/Forms/DISCPLN/0205_dis.pdf . 3 November 2012 . 18 May 2012 . Thomas E. Radecki, Decatur – medical (036-059814) and controlled substance licenses restored and placed on indefinite probation..
- Web site: Information found on: Thomas E Radecki MD, 36059814, Clarion, PA . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120516060526/http://www.idfpr.com/LicenseLookUp/LicenseLookup.asp . 16 May 2012 . 18 May 2012 . State of Illinois : Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
- Rose Dyson . Violence In The Media . live . . 5 . Dec 1989–Jan 1990, number 6 . 12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191319/http://www.peacemagazine.org/archive/v05n6p12.htm . 29 October 2013 . 24 October 2013.
- Encyclopedia: Radecki, Thomas . The Gaming Advocacy Encyclopedia . The Escapist . 24 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131208104906/http://www.theescapist.com/faq_encyclopedia.htm#radecki,thomas . 8 December 2013 . live.
- News: Brunk . Doug . Feb 2008 . Tramadol appears to stem abuse of opiates . Clinical Psychiatry News . Coronado, Calif. . 18 May 2012.
- Web site: September 27, 2012 . Local doctor accused of exchanging drugs for sex permanently surrenders medical license . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001002511/http://www.wjactv.com/news/news/local-doctor-accused-exchanging-drugs-sex-permanen/nSNd9/ . 1 October 2012 . 27 December 2012 . WJAC.
- Web site: Attorney General Kane announces arrest of Pa. psychiatrist for over-prescribing, trading opioid-addiction treatment drugs for sex . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131015070659/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=7132 . 15 October 2013 . 14 October 2013 . Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General . dmy-all.
- Web site: Weidenboerner . Katie . Clarion doctor sentenced to over one decade in prison for cash & sex for scripts scheme . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171104161303/http://www.thecourierexpress.com/news/crime/clarion-doctor-sentenced-to-over-one-decade-in-prison-for/article_fa321d3e-7ebf-5ada-81d6-2f51ae226f4d.html . 4 November 2017 . 3 June 2016 . thecourierexpress.com.
- Web site: Miller . Matt . 22 February 2018 . Psychiatrist convicted in drugs-for-sex scheme isn't too old for prison, Pa. court says . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709065210/https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/02/psychiatrist_convicted_in_drug.html . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018 . pennlive.