Guilty finding against doctor hired to write 'secret' psychiatric opinion on controversial professor

A Montreal doctor hired 13 years ago by the University of Ottawa to secretly write a psychiatric opinion on a high-profile and controversial physics professor has been found guilty of ethical and professional code violations. Dr. Louis Morissette, a psychiatrist whose specialties include forensic psychiatry, broke the rules of the profession when he wrote a psychiatric opinion that characterized Denis Rancourt as dangerous without conducting an interview of the subject, relying instead on information provided by the University of Ottawa’s faculty of science dean at the time, and on media accounts, according to the discipline document issued on Feb. 8, 2022. Dr. Morissette initially faced six charges in the complaint filed by Rancourt, who had also accused him of lying in the psychiatric report and of practising without a licence in Ontario. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Read: Psychiatrist suspended for writing baseless doctor's notes to get hospital employees off work The disciplinary board of the Collège des médecins du Québec concluded that Dr. Morissette had violated the Code of Ethics of Physicians’ section 4—which states that doctors must respect the life, dignity and liberty of the individual. In making this decision, the board considered the fact that Dr. Morissette had agreed to render an opinion on Rancourt’s mental health and potential danger to others based solely on hearsay from André Lalonde—who was then the university’s dean of the faculty of science—and on media documents and excerpts from radio programs chosen by Lalonde and by another university staff member. Rancourt found out about the existence of the psychiatric opinion during an arbitration session held about three years after he was fired by the university. His request for a copy was denied at the time and he was allowed to only read the report in front of the lawyer representing the university professors’ union. Read: Quebec doctor allegedly continued practicing during temporary suspension, accepted cash payments The board noted that Lalonde—who died of cancer in 2012—had ongoing serious conflicts with Rancourt at the time he hired Dr. Morissette to write a psychiatric opinion. The university administration was also in conflict with Rancourt, having suspended him on Dec.10, 2008 over his unorthodox grading system, which awarded an A+ to all students in his fourth-year physics class right at the start of the school year. Rancourt also got into hot water at the university for amending his course content without permission from his department. The university fired Rancourt in late December 2008 and later escorted him off campus in handcuffs when he arrived to host a meeting of his documentary film society. Rancourt’s firing set off a decade-long legal battle between him—with representation from the university teachers’ union—and the University of Ottawa. A settlement was reached in January 2019. The board also found Dr. Morissette contravened section 59.2 of the province’s Professional Code, which prohibits professionals to engage in acts derogatory to the honour or dignity of their profession. However, because of Canadian law prohibiting multiple convictions for the same act, the board has ordered a stay of proceedings for this second violation. Dr. Morissette now awaits a penalty hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Read: Before and after: Plastic surgeon hit with $17,500 fine over misleading ads

Guilty finding against doctor hired to write 'secret' psychiatric opinion on controversial professor

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