Christian Psychiatric Services Psychiatrist Valerie Augustus Disciplined for Whipping Patients
GERMANTOWN, TN: Dr. Valerie Augustus was disciplined by the Tennessee State Medical Board in May 2018 for whipping patients and being otherwise ignorant, negligent or incompetent.
Violation:
- Used implements to make contact with the buttocks of patients.
- Unprofessional and unethical conduct in violation of [law];
- ignorance, negligence, or incompetence in the course of medical practice, which is grounds for disciplinary action against [her] license to practice as a medical doctor in the State of Tennessee pursuant to [law]; and
- violation of the standard of care also constituting grounds for disciplinary action against [her] license to practice as a medical doctor in the State of Tennessee pursuant to [law]
~State Medical Board
Further investigation reveals that Valerie Augustus compared her patients to “mules” and the implements used to hit her patients included a riding crop and a whip, which she had displayed in her office. She was disciplined after using the crop on a person who was suicidal.
A riding crop is a short flexible whip with a loop for the hand, used in riding horses. It is also used in perverted sexual practices to inflict pain on a human.
Read the Findings of Fact by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners.
Amongst other penalties, Valerie Augustus was fined $10,000. That was calculated at $1000 for “every patient [she] hit with a riding crop, whip or other object.” In other words, she had hit at least 10 patients.
Her license was only suspended for at least 60 days and until she gets a psychiatric examination herself and takes a 2-day class.
Augustus owns Christian Psychiatric Services in Germantown, Tennessee. Ironically, her website lists her core values to include “respect for self and others” and her mission includes providing “compassionate, patient-centered, high-quality care.”
CCHR Nashville is investigating Dr. Valerie Augustus and asks anyone with personal knowledge of abuse or assault to contact us.