Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.
Roman ‘very disappointed’ in SJC ruling upholding suspension
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday upheld a two-year suspension of Hopkinton veterinarian Dr. Margo Roman’s license to practice veterinary medicine.
“In the circumstances of this case, the [Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine] properly found that Roman’s history evidenced a pattern of failing to comply with the requirements of her profession,” the SJC’s decision states.
“The board did not abuse its considerable discretion by suspending Roman’s license for two years,” it concluded.
Roman, who runs Main Street Animal Services (MASH) of Hopkinton, has been battling the veterinary board for multiple years. Already on probation at the time, she received the two-year suspension in 2023. The suspension followed a complaint that Roman promoted ozone therapy as a method of fighting COVID-19 in humans.
Roman delivered that information in an email to her veterinary clients in March 2020. The email also directed clients to resources on MASH’s website for purchasing ozone therapy machines.
During an appearance in front of the SJC in February, Roman’s attorney, Martha Coakley, argued Roman’s message constituted “general health advice,” contrary to the veterinary board’s assertion Roman had practiced beyond the scope of her license by giving medical advice to human patients. [Editor’s note: this article was updated to clarify the veterinary board’s reasons for suspension.]
Roman has claimed the suspension is “an accumulation of vindictive behavior on the part of the board.”
“I am very disappointed in the fairness of this Supreme Court. This set a serious precedence for veterinarians,” Roman stated in an email to the Independent following the ruling.
“It’s a sad day,” she continued. “We want collaboration and thought in all aspects of medicine and not condemnation of ideas that clearly Massachusetts is ignorant about.”
Roman maintained her recommendation of ozone therapy — a treatment that currently is classified as a toxic gas by the Food and Drug Administration. Some studies indicates the treatment may be effective for some conditions, though more research is needed.
“If we have tools that are safe and effective and are not expensive we should be able to utilize them to save lives,” Roman added.
Latest News
Candidates for both the Select Board and Board of Assessors recently spoke on their candidacies and the issues that matter to them ahead of the May 19 Annual Town Election.
This week’s Police Log features reports of a car chase on Interstate 495, an injured owl on the road and an abandoned vehicle in an intersection on Pond Street.
Changing environmental conditions in the first three dual meets of the season have not kept the Hopkinton High School boys outdoor track and field team from winning each competition, says coach Brian Prescott.
The latest Senior Snippets features information on a Monday matinee program, the next book club and a crafting class.
The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation is hosting the 10th annual Touch-a-Truck and Food Truck Festival on June 1 at the Hopkinton High School parking lot.
Town meetings tonight include the Open Space Preservation Commission (7).
Photo of the Day
A firefly is reflected in a mirror outside a Hopkinton home.
PHOTO/JAI LAD
Actually, the SJC upheld the suspension because the vet gave medical advice to humans. They weren’t commenting one way or another about some alleged treatment.
Hopnews ran an expose about this vet awhile back, including incidents that the Board said constituted physical abuse of an animal.