The doctor who founded All Kinds of Minds, a Durham, North Carolina institute dedicated to teaching children with learning disabilities, has resigned amid allegations of child molestation. According to the Durham News & Observer, Dr. Mel Levine announced Tuesday that he would leave All Kinds of Minds in June, when his contract expires.
Levine denies the abuse allegations, and his lawyer told the News & Observer that his resignation is not related to them.
Levine founded All Kinds of Minds in 1995 to focus on teacher training. The institute’s approach is based entirely on Levine’s books and teachings, the News & Observer said. Levin’s methods focus on creating individual plans for children, and he shuns labels like ADHD.
According to the News & Observer, Levin’s innovative approach drew patients from across the country and turned him into a world-famous child development expert. As result, All Kinds of Minds has millions of dollars worth of contracts with schools across the nation.
According to the News & Observer, five patients Levine treated when he practiced in Boston are suing the doctor, saying that he improperly touched them during physical exams. The lawyer representing those patients told The New York Times that more than 50 other former patients or their parents had contacted him with complaints Levine.
A Durham attorney also told the News & Observer that several North Carolina patients have reported similar allegations to the state Medical Board. The Medical Board is barred by state law from confirming an investigation into those charges.
According to The New York Times, since the lawsuits were filed against Levine, All Kinds of Minds has lost nine of its 80 contracts.
In a statement, All Kinds of Minds board Chairman Roch Hillenbrand said the board regretted the circumstances surrounding Levine’s resignation, but maintained the move was necessary. “The mission of [All Kinds of Minds] is so critical to tens of thousands of young learners, and to those who teach, guide and counsel them, that it had to be placed above any one person,” Hillenbrand said.
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