Medic accused of abuse ends practice

Levine asks N.C. to suspend license

A lawsuit accuses Dr. Melvin D. Levine, 68, of sexually abusing boys in his care. Levine denies the allegations, his lawyer said. (ANDY KUNO FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE/FILE 1996)

The former Children's Hospital Boston pediatrician and best-selling author accused of sexually abusing boys in his care suspended his medical license in North Carolina yesterday, according to the state's medical board.

A lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court this week accused Dr. Melvin D. Levine, 68, former chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Children's Hospital, of abusing at least seven boys who came to him for treatment. The suit was filed by an unnamed plaintiff who was 8 years old when the alleged abuse began between 1980 and 1985.

On Thursday, Levine voluntarily stopped seeing patients at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where he has taught for more than 20 years.

The action he took yesterday means that he would have to go through a potentially lengthy process to have his license reactivated.

"He requested to be put on inactive status," said Thomas Mansfield, legal director of the North Carolina Medical Board. "He would have to make a request to reactivate his license. The process to do that depends on how long it's been since his license was active, and if there are any investigations pending."

Mansfield would not confirm that Levine is being investigated, but Carmen L. Durso, a Boston lawyer representing five of the alleged victims, said he received calls from investigators at the Medical Board.

"I'm not commenting on whether there's an ongoing investigation, but I will say that the North Carolina Medical Board always investigates any report of misconduct by a physician," Mansfield said.

Durso said that at least 21 people have called him this week with complaints about being sexually abused by Levine.

Levine was a professor in the department of pediatrics in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine between 1987 and 2006. Since then, Levine has held an unpaid appointment as an adjunct professor at the university, continuing to see patients twice a month, university officials said.

Levine, who has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to promote his books, worked at Children's Hospital between 1971 and 1985, specializing in children with developmental and educational issues.

Levine's Boston lawyer, Edward Mahoney, did not return calls yesterday. Earlier this week he said the doctor is innocent.

"Dr. Mel Levine has provided pediatric care to more than 15,000 children over 40 years and categorically denies that he has ever been abusive in any way toward any patient," Mahoney said in a statement. "He adamantly denies these claims."

David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.