Lawsuit alleges prominent Houston doctor traded prescriptions for sex

HOUSTON – The chief of academic surgery at St. Joseph Medical Center is being accused of trading prescription drugs for sex in a new lawsuit.

The suit, which seeks monetary relief of over $100,000, was filed Thursday in Harris County by attorney Peter Schneider on behalf of two anonymous clients.

Schneider provided video to Local 2 investigates that shows Dr. Thomas V. Taylor having sex with two patients inside what appears to be an exam room in his office on St. Joseph Parkway.

According to Taylor's website he is a bariatric and gastrointestinal surgeon and runs a weight-loss clinic.

The video shows Taylor examining a rash on a female while her male companion is present in the room. 

The next three and a half minutes appear to show oral sex and other sexual acts.  

According to the lawsuit, the male patient first visited Dr. Taylor for a surgery and afterward he was prescribed narcotics.

The suit goes on to state that both the male and female patient were prescribed medically unnecessary narcotics in exchange for sexual favors "over the following years on many, many occasions."

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Taylor prescribed what amounted to thousands of pills of Xanax and Norco.

"I'm appalled that the doctor would allow this to happen under any circumstance," said Dr. William Winslade a University of Houston law professor who specializes in medical ethics.

Schneider would not say if he had notified law enforcement or the Texas medical board about his client's allegations. 

Taylor did not return calls from Local 2 Investigates, and would not comment when approached outside his home by Joel Eisenbaum.

"I was contacted by this doctor after there was an attempted shakedown for a million dollars," said attorney Rusty Hardin, who said he is representing Dr. Taylor.

Representatives from St. Joseph's Medical Center also declined to comment.