Health Officials Investigate Doctor

A Spokane doctor accused of 300 sexual encounters with a teenage boy is being investigated by state health officials who could revoke his license to practice.

Charges filed with the Medical Quality Assurance Commission allege Dr. Gregory Nail had sex with the boy between his 12th and 17th birthdays.

Nail, a family practice doctor, is also medical adviser to the city’s police pension board and doctor to many police officers.

If the charge isn’t dismissed, Nail could lose his license or have it suspended, said Janet Schilter, a health department spokeswoman. A hearing before the medical commission is set for May 30.

“He’s still able to practice at this time,” said Schilter. “Those are the first charges that have ever been filed against Dr. Nail.”

Nail’s attorney, Mike Kane, said he responded to the commission’s charge but wouldn’t elaborate on that response. Nail didn’t return a call to his office Friday.

The doctor also faces an April 1 criminal trial for charges of lewd and lascivious conduct in the case.

Health officials wouldn’t name the teenager. He’s now 19.

Bonner County attorneys are preparing for pretrial hearings to decide whether a search of Nail’s house in July was legal.

Authorities seized evidence from the doctor’s personal computers, including conversations with gay men on a computer bulletin board, court records show.

Prosecutors said they also found a computer questionnaire Nail filled out about himself and posted on a gay bulletin board.

Prosecutors also will try to convince a judge to allow as evidence taped telephone conversations in which they say Nail and the teenager talk about homosexual behavior.

Nail, who has denied being gay, said he was helping the teenager deal with his homosexuality.

The conversations were taped in December 1993 while the teenager was staying at his grandparents’ home in California. The grandparents recorded all telephone calls.

Nail’s attorneys claim the tapes are illegal because the doctor didn’t know his voice was being recorded.

After the teenager and his family filed a civil suit against the doctor alleging sexual abuse, Nail paid them $100,000 to keep the case out of court.

The Medical Quality Assurance Commission began investigating Nail nearly a year ago, Schilter said. The commission decided to file the charge in late August.

The charge was only recently made public because of understaffing in the health department, Schilter said.