A prominent Atlanta businessman was arrested after police said he sexually assaulted a patient at his chiropractic clinic last month. And investigators believe he might have more victims.
Rashad Sanford, founder and CEO of Atlanta Spine Doctors, was arrested on a sexual battery warrant Wednesday, Sandy Springs police said in a news release.
The 41-year-old clinician has been treating patients in the metro Atlanta area for 14 years, according to his LinkedIn page. The charges against him stem from a Sept. 4 incident at the Sandy Springs office on Concourse Parkway, police spokesman Sgt. Salvador Ortega said.
When the alleged victim arrived for her appointment, she realized she and Sanford were the only people in the office, Ortega said. During the encounter, he allegedly undressed the woman and “proceeded to touch her inappropriately throughout the appointment.”
In a statement, Atlanta Spine Doctors said Sandord “adamantly denies the charges,” against him.
“He has had literally thousands of patients over the years, the vast majority of whom come for treatment on a regular basis,” the statement said. “Dr. Sanford is not going to talk to the press, or otherwise discuss this matter with any other person, because of the necessity of protecting patient privacy and because the proper place to resolve this kind of dispute is in a court and not on a television screen or the local newspaper.”
Sanford was booked into the Fulton County Jail and was later released on a signature bond.
It’s the second time Sanford has been accused of such an assault, police said. According to detectives, Sandy Springs police charged the chiropractor with sexual battery in a similar incident in 2008. No records regarding the outcome of that case were immediately available through the Fulton County court system. AJC.com has reached out for more information about those charges.
The arrest comes just a month after the opening day of Sanford’s latest venture, an all-day breakfast restaurant. Breakfast at Barney’s, which Sanford co-owns with former nightclub promoter Barney Lee Berry, opened Aug. 31 on Decatur Street.
It is not clear if Sanford’s involvement with the restaurant will continue. Berry declined to comment on Sanford’s charges, saying only that he knew nothing about the situation.
The police department is urging other potential victims of Sanford to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective M. Burson at MBurson@SandySpringsGA.Gov or by phone at 770-551-2570.
About the Author
