Everyone is a Doctor

RLD

Someone has to help us keep the “doctor” name sacred.  Too often we allow noctors to pretend they are us because we are too busy or afraid to fight back.  You see the ads on the internet.  You see the charlatans on the television.  It’s sad, really.  Now the Texas Attorney General is helping us.  They just charged a snake-oil salesman with this crime:

 Austin resident Robert Lindsey Duncan with unlawfully referring to himself as a naturopathic doctor in order to market and sell various nutritional products. Appearing on numerous nationally-broadcast television programs to promote vitamins, herbs and related health products, the defendant falsely refers to himself as “Dr. Duncan,” “Doctor” or “ND” – despite not having the legal authority to make such representations. Texas law does not recognize naturopathic doctors.

According to court documents filed by the State, the defendant claims to have a “doctorate” degree in naturopathy from the now-closed Clayton College of Natural Health. Clayton College – an unaccredited, distance-learning natural health college that was based in Birmingham, Ala. – is specifically named on a list posted by The Higher Education Coordination Board of “Institutions Whose Degrees Are Illegal to Use in Texas.” The State’s legal action charged that Duncan’s alleged “doctorate” degree – awarded by a so-called college that was not properly accredited in Texas or any other state during its existence – is not recognized under Texas law, making the defendant’s continued references to himself as a “doctor” false, misleading and deceptive.

Who is Robert Lindsey Duncan?  Well, there he is above on the Dr. Oz show.  That’s right, the respectable Dr. Oz and his staff couldn’t figure out that his credentials are bogus.  Why is this show still on TV?