#metoo
I sought chiropractic care from Dr. Jackson at this office several years ago and he was inappropriate with me both verbally and physically. It was NOT during or any part of the routine adjustment, or guised as an attempt to help me with potential dizziness, whatsoever. His actions took place after the appointment and all procedures were 100% complete, but before I left the room, and he made very sure to be quick and quiet about it with my relatives only on the other side of the doorway. I would not go back to him after that day.
I never reported what happened because I didn't think anyone outside of my family would believe me, and frankly, I was very stunned by his actions. He has a larger-than-life personality and brags incessantly about being a "Christian" which many people erroneously and automatically equate with being a harmless human, so between my shock and how I assumed people viewed him, it just seemed like I would be quickly dismissed. But, seeing the reports come out and other women come forward, it gave me the courage to at least share my experience here. I am unsure if I should disclose any more details online being that I haven't reported my experience to the authorities... yet.
It was clear he felt very comfortable and confident with conducting himself inappropriately and aggressively with me, so I am sad but not very surprised he has done similar and worse things both before and after me. I hope every single person that has been assaulted feels encouraged to speak up and report their experience to the authorities.
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While this is separate from what I am referring to with my above comments, I too had Dr. Jackson tell me that he would like to show me off at some chiropractor convention. I was puzzled by this being how unwell I was when I came to see him, so I couldn't place his comment in the context of being a successful case study worthy of sharing with other professionals in his field, and yet his jovial enthusiasm when expressing his desire to "show me off" also would not have been an emotional match for presenting me as a failed or difficult case. I also wondered if taking patients to a professional convention was commonplace, as I have never had any other chiropractor, medical, or alternative medical professional mention taking me to their professional meetings - the whole thing puzzled me. He did also express appreciation/notice for my "fit" physicality. When I read a nearly identical experience from the other Yelp reviewer, Charlie, it made my heart sink and I knew I had to post something here.
He also made comments about how soft my skin was, especially "compared to some of the alligators he has to touch" (referencing his other patients) and he told me he would havemy photo hanging in his locker if we were in high school. Maybe someone could write that off just a failed and poor choice at "humor" as I did at the time, but both his tone and smirk was very overtly expressing a "crush-like/flirtatious" attitude. Sensualizing rapport with patients is not at all the same as professional warmth and friendliness. This type of "weirdness" alone wouldn't be enough to make me report someone so I don't want to make a mountain out of a single detail, but it did make me uncomfortable and seemed very disrespectful towards me and his other patients. It also seems worth including being that there were larger and more problematic behaviors he displayed following these "weird" interactions.
On a similar point, he also suggested more than once that we should hang out and "split a pizza together" outside of our scheduled appointments someday. I was a patient for less than 4 months and we had no business-related affiliations, so meeting outside of office hours was not aligned with any scope of our level of acquaintance with one another. Again, puzzling, but not assault.
Mind you, I am a young adult woman, well out of high school and I never expressed interest in "hanging out."
Again, these unprofessional and inappropriate comments were separate from the more severe physical and verbal aggressions at the heart of my review and my disturbing experience of this person.
My heartfelt compassion to anyone who has been harmed or frightened by this man, especially while in a vulnerable state. I extend my compassion to his family, friends, and colleagues as well, who never saw this side of him and are now dealing with the shock and upset of this full reality. read more