Santa Rosa psychiatrist loses license after drugging, sex assault allegations

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A Santa Rosa psychiatrist is having his medical license revoked after allegations of drugging and sexually assaulting patients and employees as well as other violations of professional conduct came before the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, according to state records.   

Cuyler Burns Goodwin, who most recently worked for Sequoia Mind Health in Santa Rosa, is set to lose his license effective April 7.   

Osteopathic Medical Board investigators first referred his case to the state attorney general's office on Nov. 30, 2020, accusing Goodwin of gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, incompetence, unprofessional conduct, sexual misconduct and sexual exploitation. The filed complaint outlines three allegations against Goodwin.     

In the first allegation, dubbed "Patient A" in the filed complaint, Goodwin is accused by the father of a patient with schizophrenia of romantically pursuing the patient's sister.     

"Father alleged also in the complaint that Respondent spent more and more of his house calls time cultivating his relationship with Sister instead of treating Patient A," the court document reads.     

MORE: Witness describes moments before deadly Lafayette shooting between 2 drivers

The patient's mother alleged that, though making $900 per hour for house calls, "more and more" time was being spent in private with the patient's sister.   

The father told the board that his son's care was disrupted in order to find a new treatment provider as a result of Goodwin's alleged relationship with the sister.     

The sister alleged to a board investigator that she did indeed have a sexual relationship with Goodwin and became pregnant. The investigator confirmed that Goodwin wrote a prescription for the sister for a medication to induce abortion.     

In the matter of Patient A, the board alleges that Goodwin refused to respond to questions about the nature of his relationship with the sister or if he had prescribed her medication.     

"Patient B" in the court documents is a 27-year-old woman with generalized anxiety disorder and a history of sexual trauma. She had been a patient of Goodwin but then began working for his office part-time. Goodwin continued to treat her and would administer ketamine infusions.     

Patient B alleges that Goodwin would ask her personal questions during the infusions, such as her relationship with her boyfriend and her sexual history. She also alleges that Goodwin told her about an affair he had and how he had taken ketamine home for his own personal use.   

Patient B alleges that in January 2018, Goodwin invited her into his office after work and gave her a glass of wine, then allegedly sexually assaulted her. The woman said she left and quit her job as a result. She alleges that he later apologized and tried to pay her severance "under the table." 

Patient B said she refused the money.  

In March 2019, Patient B filed a police report with Santa Rosa police alleging the sexual assault.     

The third person listed in the complaint, "Patient C," was also a former patient who worked for Goodwin and said she had received ketamine treatments from him. 

During her first treatment, she alleges that she began "feeling woozy" and Goodwin asked her to take off her top and bra. 

She said she noticed him getting closer to her, so she put her top back on and pulled her knees up to bar him from getting close to her, she said.     

Patient C alleges that while she was being administered ketamine, Goodwin asked her about the numbers of sexual partners she has had and whether she had ever been with a woman. 

She also further alleges that while she was drugged, Goodwin raped her, an accusation that the medical board found "credible" in their decision to revoke his license.     

Goodwin denied sexually assaulting or raping Patient C.     

When asked about Patient B's allegations, Goodwin told the board that he would not answer questions about drinking wine with her because that was his personal life. Goodwin told the board that he did conduct a medical examination on Patient C's breasts before administering ketamine because she was recovering from a breast augmentation procedure.     

Goodwin could not be reached for comment. 

The Sonoma County District Attorney's Office said that it has not received any investigative reports on Goodwin from law enforcement and therefore has not filed charges.