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Atlanta, GA— Trial is expected to begin within the next day against an anesthesiologist involved in one of the viral surgical videos made by the so-called Atlanta “Dancing Doctor,” which grabbed headlines five years ago. CVN will be covering the Fulton County (Georgia) State Court proceeding live and on demand. Rideau v. Pinkney, 19EV006990.
According to court documents, Latoya Rideau contends that, during a 2017 surgery in which she was under anesthesia, Drs. Windell Boutte, the procedure’s surgeon, and Dr. Roland Pinkney, the procedure’s anesthesiologist, danced, gestured, and appeared to sing along to music for a video called “Cut It,” which was later widely published to social media. Rideau contends the video, which went viral with more than a million views, was made without her knowledge or consent, and left her severely emotionally scarred.
The video was one of many recordings made by Boutte, who is nicknamed the “Dancing Doctor” for making viral videos in which she danced and sang during surgeries while her patients were under anesthesia. Numerous patients filed claims against the physician, whose license was suspended in 2018, soon after the incidents were made public. She was ordered to pay nearly $200,000 in state penalties alone, according to news reports, and faced multiple civil suits, which have resolved. Boutte, for her part, maintained that patients consented to the videos and often chose which music would be played.
Boutte is not a defendant at trial here, but Pinkney faces claims that he violated the standard of care by taking part in the video and that he failed to determine whether Rideau knew or agreed to the recording.
Pinkney contends that he met the standard of care throughout the procedure and that Rideau signed a consent form with Boutte’s medical practice, which allowed video and photos to be taken. Pinkney adds, according to court documents, that any injury Rideau suffered was not caused by him.
Rideau is represented by Susan Witt, of the Witt Law Group; Darren Summerville and Jennifer Jordan, of The Summerville Firm; and Chloe Dallaire, according to the case’s pre-trial order. Witt has represented numerous other patients in Boutte’s “dancing doctor” videos.
Pinkney is represented by Hall Booth Smith’s Terrell Benton III, Sheila Kazemian, and Austin Atkinson.
Trial, before Judge Myra Dixon, is expected to open Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning and wrap by the end of the week. Courtroom View Network will stream the proceeding, gavel-to-gavel, live and on demand.
Email Arlin Crisco at acrisco@cvn.com.
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