A Fairbanks chiropractor is facing charges he sexually assaulted a patient last year, an accusation that triggered the suspension of his license this month.
Norman Todd Lovell, 58, was indicted by a Fairbanks grand jury last month on a felony count of second-degree sexual assault during a treatment session in March 2021.
Lovell put his hand on the breast of a patient, “a person who the offender knew was unaware that a sexual act was being committed and the offender was a health care worker,” the indictment states.
The practice Lovell owns, Ridgeview Chiropractic, is still open and operating but he is unable to practice. A representative declined to comment.
Lovell’s attorney, Bill Satterberg, said the charges against him “are definitely denied” but declined to make additional comments about the case.
Lovell’s chiropractic license has been suspended, officials with the state Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing said late last week. A petition filed April 6 by a division staffer requesting the suspension references the criminal case.
The division received a complaint from the patient on behalf of the State Medical Board, the petition states. A board member reviewing the information surrounding the report found Lovell “unsafe to practice due to his inappropriate sexual contact with a patient,” which violates several state statutes.
The board suspended the license immediately under a provision that allows members to act before a final hearing, even if the decision is under appeal, if a provider poses “a clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety” if they continue to practice, the petition states.
The filing orders that Lovell’s license “will remain suspended until such time as he can demonstrate to the (board) that he is fit to practice in a manner consistent with public safety.”