Paul M. Fleiss
Encyclopedia
Paul Murray Fleiss M.D.
(born September 8, 1933) is an American
pediatrician
, breastfeeding
advocate, and anti-circumcision
activist based in Los Feliz, California.
He earned his B.S.
in pharmacy from Wayne State University
, his M.D. from the University of California, Irvine
, and his M.P.H. from the University of California, Los Angeles
. Fleiss is best known for his unconventional medical views; while he recommends that children in his practice receive recommended vaccine
s, he does not insist upon it. Fleiss appeared in an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! on circumcision in 2005.
Fleiss is the father of "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss
. In 1994, Fleiss was charged with helping to conceal the income from his daughter's prostitution
ring by depositing the money in his name. Fleiss pled guilty to three felony charges of conspiracy
and bank fraud
, and was sentenced to one day in prison and community service
. Following the felony convictions, the Medical Board of California placed Fleiss on probation
for 1 year and publicly reprimanded him for "unprofessional conduct" and "dishonesty".
Subsequently, in 2005, Fleiss was investigated for his role in the death from untreated AIDS
of Eliza Jane Scovill, the daughter of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore
, who was HIV-positive. Against standard medical practice, Scovill was never tested for HIV
, and Fleiss was investigated by the Medical Board of California for gross negligence
in her care as well as in the care of a second child who was also HIV-positive. After receiving over 100 letters of support for Fleiss from patients and parents, the Medical Board reached a settlement in which Fleiss was not found grossly negligent, but did concede a failure to maintain adequate medical records and agree to regular review by an outside physician acting as a monitor.
Fleiss is on the board of Maggiore's AIDS denialist organization, Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives
.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(born September 8, 1933) is an American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
pediatrician
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
, breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...
advocate, and anti-circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
activist based in Los Feliz, California.
He earned his B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in pharmacy from Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
, his M.D. from the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, and his M.P.H. from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. Fleiss is best known for his unconventional medical views; while he recommends that children in his practice receive recommended vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s, he does not insist upon it. Fleiss appeared in an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! on circumcision in 2005.
Fleiss is the father of "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss
Heidi Fleiss
Heidi Lynne Fleiss is an American former madam, and also a columnist and television personality regularly featured in the 1990s in American media. She is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam"....
. In 1994, Fleiss was charged with helping to conceal the income from his daughter's prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
ring by depositing the money in his name. Fleiss pled guilty to three felony charges of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
and bank fraud
Bank fraud
Bank fraud is the use of fraudulent means to obtain money, assets, or other property owned or held by a financial institution, or to obtain money from depositors by fraudulently representing to be a bank or financial institution. In many instances, bank fraud is a criminal offense...
, and was sentenced to one day in prison and community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. Following the felony convictions, the Medical Board of California placed Fleiss on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
for 1 year and publicly reprimanded him for "unprofessional conduct" and "dishonesty".
Subsequently, in 2005, Fleiss was investigated for his role in the death from untreated AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
of Eliza Jane Scovill, the daughter of AIDS denialist Christine Maggiore
Christine Maggiore
Christine Joy Maggiore was an HIV-positive activist who promoted the view that HIV is not the cause of AIDS. She was the founder of Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives, an organization which questions the link between HIV and AIDS and encourages HIV-positive pregnant women to avoid anti-HIV medication...
, who was HIV-positive. Against standard medical practice, Scovill was never tested for HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, and Fleiss was investigated by the Medical Board of California for gross negligence
Gross negligence
Gross negligence is a legal concept which means serious carelessness. Negligence is the opposite of diligence, or being careful. The standard of ordinary negligence is what conduct one expects from the proverbial "reasonable person"...
in her care as well as in the care of a second child who was also HIV-positive. After receiving over 100 letters of support for Fleiss from patients and parents, the Medical Board reached a settlement in which Fleiss was not found grossly negligent, but did concede a failure to maintain adequate medical records and agree to regular review by an outside physician acting as a monitor.
Fleiss is on the board of Maggiore's AIDS denialist organization, Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives
Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives
Alive & Well AIDS Alternatives is a 501 non-profit organization of AIDS denialists...
.