Middleboro Review and so on

  April 24, 2026     Gordon Russell Deputy Spotlight Editor 📥  gordon.russell@globe.com Last October, as part of Spotlight's "Standards of Care" series, reporters Liz Kowalczyk and Elizabeth Koh dove deeply into  the horrifying case  of Dr. Derrick Todd, a once-prominent rheumatologist now accused of sexually assaulting more than 270 patients during exams. The question our reporting raised was a troubling one: Why did it take so long for medical oversight officials to act? Our story showed that at least 23 patients said they were assaulted by Todd during the time he was under investigation. (That number has now risen to at least 25.) Had Todd simply been suspended while those allegations were explored, all of that alleged abuse might have been prevented. Our findings were published a few months after prosecutors in Middlesex County charged Todd with raping two women during exams. This week, Suffolk County prosecutors unveiled a raf...

  March 27, 2026     Gordon Russell Deputy Spotlight Editor 📥  gordon.russell@globe.com One of the great joys of working on an investigative team is that people send in tips all the time — not cash, but leads, things that need to be looked into. And thanks to the reputation Spotlight has built over the decades, our tip jar is often overflowing. I'd be lying if I said all these tips were winners. Some are downright batty. But we read every one of them carefully, and some of them are freaking gems. One such tip came in quite a while ago, and it alleged startling corruption on the part of two former commuter rail conductors. The tipster, who was anonymous, seemed very knowledgeable, and we started investigating. It was a frustrating journey in many ways — largely because the MBTA and the private company that runs its commuter-rail operations, Keolis, refused to answer almost all of our questions.  But they did confirm the broad contours of...