By Cheryl Sullenger
Boston, MA — The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine has filed a disciplinary petition against Vito Cordone for failing to report the sexual abuse of patients committed at his fertility clinic by former Planned Parenthood abortionist Ian Hardy.
In 1992, while Hardy was employed by Cardone’s Boston area infertility clinic, he began providing abortions for Planned Parenthood of League of Massachusetts, Inc. Why Hardy eventually left Planned Parenthood is unknown, but a Boston Globe article published on May 1, 2014, indicates that Hardy’s abhorrent sexual misconduct stretched back as far as 20 years. Hardy was working for Planned Parenthood during that time, in which Planned Parenthood abortion patients were likely exposed to molestation by Hardy as well.
Cardone was aware that Hardy was sexually abusing patients while they were under anesthesia for infertility treatments, but Cardone kept quiet and allowed Hardy to continue the abuse.
The petition against Cardone, which is seeking discipline up to and including license revocation, states, “As a health care provider, [Cardone] had a duty to report to the Board any person who there was reasonable basis to believe was in violation. . . any of the regulations of the Board. [Cardone] did not report the incident involving Dr. Hardy to the Board as required by law.”
Hardy was forced to surrender his Massachusetts medical license in January 2014, after 18 witnesses came forward in 2004 to testify against him about his inappropriate sexual behavior not only with his patients, but also female members of his staff.
“The fact that it took over ten years to protect women is, in itself, scandalous. Justice for the victims of Hardy and his silent accomplice, Cardone, is long overdue,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
The Board had earlier ignored a patient complaint lodged in the 1990’s that stated she had been sexually assaulted by Hardy.
“Sexual crimes committed by abortionists on patients and female staff are all-too-common scandals that the abortion cartel would rather keep in the shadows,” said Newman. “Abortion facilities seem to attract deviants because there is great opportunity to prey on women while they are most vulnerable and where a code of secrecy often insulates them from accountability. However, as Cardone has learned the hard way, silence only allows the sexual predator to continue his victimization and those who stand by and allow that to happen are just as culpable.”
Background:
Read the Disciplinary Petition against Cardone filed July 20, 2014
Read Operation Rescue’s original report about Hardy
Read the 3-part Boston Globe story about Hardy (Note: Articles fail to mention Hardy’s affiliation with Planned Parenthood)
• Patients wonder if they were molestation victims
• Indications of code of silence on fertility doctor
• Doctor trailed by misconduct allegations
