Dr. Reginald D. Rigsby managed to get his medical license suspended again. The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure suspended the medical license of the Gluckstadt physician on December 8, 2022 for inappropriate conduct with a patient. Dr. Rigsby practiced family medicine.
The Board reinstated his license in 1997 but with restrictions. Dr. Rigsby could not practice alone and was barred from seeing patients "after hours or outside of the supervising clinic." An employee "chaperone" had to be present when he examined patients. The Board removed all restrictions in 1999.
23 years passed until a social worker filed a complaint against the wayward physician. The complainant alleged Dr. Rigsby hugged and kissed a patient and went to his home. The Board investigated and temporarily suspended Dr. Rigsby's license on November 28, 2022.
The Board held a hearing on December 8. Dr. Rigsby said he met the patient and his wife in June 2021 while the patient was treated "for a heart condition at Rush Hospital." The physician gave the patient his cellphone number upon discharge from the hospital. Dr. Rigsby said "he believed once Patient A was discharged, Patient A was no longer under his care." He "began to mentor" the patient. Dr. Rrigsby said he had a "father/son relationship" with the patient. He said he tried to help him get a job as he was suffering financial hardship.
The mentoring and medical assistance continued. He wrote prescriptions for the patient after his hospital discharge while he "mentored" the patient. He wrote a doctor's note so the patient could miss work. The mentoring moved to more social settings. Dr. Rigsby took the patient and his wife to dinner, bought his "son" a wallet, and loaned him money. He said there was nothing sexual or "intimate" but he said they did hug and he kissed the patient on the cheek even though the reinstatement order forbade him from doing so. Dr. Rigsby maintained the patient was not his patient when he hugged and kissed him.
Text messages revealed the nature of the relationship as the two men began to text "I love you" and refer to each other as father and son. However, Dr. Rigsby one day "accidentally kissed the corner" of the patient's mouth. He said it was an accident and apologized in text messages.
The social worker said Dr. Rigsby was "grooming" the patient and taking advantage of his physician/patient relationship. She said the patient was a "vulnerable adult" due to his medical history and past trauma.
The patient provided more disturbing details to the Board:
32. Patient A also described a time that Licensee came to visit him at his home and made an inappropriate comment. Patient A apologized during Licensee’s visit to his home for having a messy and unkept house. Licensee responded by saying that he would love Patient A, even if he was naked.
33. Patient A testified that he began seeing Polk for treatment to deal with several issues—specifically issues involving older men and father figures.36. Patient A testified that he needed to borrow a belt from Licensee, so he went to Licensee’s home after briefly leaving his job at the bank. Patient A stated that Licensee handed him a belt while on the phone and went in to kiss him on the cheek; however, Licensee’s cheek-kiss grazed his lip.
37. Following the exchange, Patient A sent Licensee a text message stating that he was “mildly shocked” that the cheek kiss grazed his lip and that it threw him off.38. Patient A testified that he began to get more and more scared to “hang out” with Licensee following the cheek kiss that grazed his lips. Patient A stated that he continued to engage with Licensee after the kiss because he was “longing for a father.”
39. Patient A also stated that Licensee would push his leg against Patient A’s groin while they hugged on multiple occasions. Patient A also stated that the hug shared between he and Licensee became longer, tighter, and more intense.
40. Patient A stated that he was afraid to report Licensee’s behavior, but he started mentioning the behavior to Polk during their therapy sessions.
The Board suspended Dr. Rigsby's license and ordered him to complete a psychosexual evaluation. He can not apply for reinstatement for at least a year.
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| 1995 article |
29 comments:
Wonder why he was not arrested for non-consensual conduct. I would think that would be a sexual assault.
Patient A is a grown ass Married Man. It’s all about using the doctor until he could get a good payoff! This is not a one time rub or kiss! They both knew the deal! Just Saying
"Non-consensual oral sex"? Isn't that rape, and any other non-doctor or non-politician would be arrested and thrown in jail?
How have the police stayed away from this guy?
A "non-consensual" BJ? Huh? Buyer's remorse?
Ew.
If both could give consent, both were vaccinated, and both wore masks, I really don’t understand all the fuss.
yuck
My husband used him for primary care until Rigsby wrongly diagnosed him with TB. He had pneumonia.
His whole office was crazy when he was at River Oaks. Shouldn't he be retired anyway?
Medical Licensure Board is an absolute joke! This is what happens when a profession polices itself. Outside something on the level of capital murder, you always get to keep your license.
Mentally disordered sex offender who should have never been given a medical degree.
Suspend? Revoke that bitch.
Why should a doctor be any different than any other profession? Same thing happens every day with any other profession. Sounds like both parties were agreeable at one time. Breakups can be messy no matter what kind of job you have.
My doc look at me with those goo goo eyes and them I’m going to ask to borrow money from him, I don’t think so. I’ll know what’s next! No thank you!!! He didn’t have a problem asking for favors from the doc. The doc just wanted reassurance.
Two real grown ass men. Knock his ass out and move on. But naw, I need to tell my shrink!
Is there a Pineapple involved?
he's been like this for a loooooooong time. ain't no fixin it
The board won't seriously discipline him because MS is very short of doctors, especially docs of a protected class.
That wasn't sex, it was an oral hernia exam.
January 20, 2023 at 9:54 AM, your comment x 10,000.
He was practicing medicine! That’s why they call it a medical practice and or practicing physician.
So sad. I hope all parties involved get the therapy and treatment they need.
Looks like this pervert needs to have his license permanently revoked.
He "identified" as a doctor, and then he "identified" as a mentor. Isn't that the way it works today?
Maybe he should practice in Parchman prison where his services would be appreciated?
"I hope all parties involved get the therapy and treatment they need."
What sort of therapy? It's like the employee who fails a drug screen and is called into the HR department...and decides to ask for a reprieve and a treatment program.
One of them is a bird of prey and the other is a gold-digger pretending to be a victim. The earlier would only seek treatment if he thought it would lead to the reinstatement of his license. The latter would only seek treatment if a record of treatment would help him in seeking a payout.
Ditto 9:39. Consenting adults with different agendas.
Is this the same doctor who used to be at Mallory clinincs in Lexington, Vaiden, Durant, etc. and also at River Oaks and Merit locations?
9:39AM
I think you are right that manipulation and taking advantage of genuine desire for people to get help is unfortunately a huge aspect of untreated addiction. There are plenty that do what you say. There are also others that faced in that moment, seek treatment, and genuinely choose to take action to treat their disease. And you are right, some people never truly reach a place where they see the impact of their actions and want change for themselves.
The fact that this person has already faced grave consequences and the behavior has resurfaced is unfortunate and sad. I am not sure if there was a relapse in behavior, or if as you say, it was hidden for years.
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