Talk about a Facebook page coming back to bite you! AP reports that a Beverly Hills psychiatrist has found himself under challenge as an expert witness in custody cases because of a Facebook page that was “not intended for public viewing” and for some other images he uploaded to the Internet that he claims were “satire:”
Some parents are seeking to remove a Beverly Hills psychiatrist from their child custody cases after discovering lewd photos of him on Facebook and other websites, a newspaper reported.
Dr. Joseph Kenan, president of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, was dismissed from a recent case and challenged in at least two others.
The 41-year-old, who advises family courts in custody disputes, also faces at least four complaints lodged with the Medical Board of California, according to a records review by the Los Angeles Times.
Read more in The Age.
The story was originally reported by the L. A. Times, who posted some of the pictures.
Interestingly, one parent who had sought to have Dr. Kenan dismissed from a case, was unsuccessful. According to the AP:
“You’re saying Dr. Kenan should be disqualified because of a goofy Facebook page. What on earth does it have anything to do with this court?” Commissioner Mary Lou Katz asked.
That’s an interesting question in a day and age when lawyers are googling potential jurors, judges are instructing jurors to stay off Facebook with respect to the trial, and employers are making employment decisions about people based on Facebook postings. Does the psychiatrist’s Facebook page say anything about his professional judgment? While Commissioner Katz may not think so, others might disagree.
And did the doctor simply screw up his Facebook privacy settings, or did Facebook decide to share his information at some point, or is he just misrepresenting now that he’s been exposed (no pun intended)?