Dr. Clarence Jay Arendall, a doctor who practices in Alma, AR, is a fugitive, wanted for two counts of 2nd degree sexual assault of women patients at his clinic. The warrant for his arrest went out two days ago. His clinic has a sign posted stating "Closed For Spring Break," which ended a week ago.
The doctor, who according to reports is married with several kids, reportedly took on patients who could not afford monetary payment, and worked them into his schedule. [Perhaps this is how he allegedly was able to take advantage of vulnerable women - by payment in sexual favors instead of cash?]
Meanwhile, Jennifer Porter who works next door says Arendall has taken several mission trips with his church. She says that patients have come in repeatedly over the last week looking for the physician.
"They just want know where he is if we've heard anything seen anything," Porter explained. "They're just really concerned about how they're going to get their records and what to do a lot of them needed follow up care. He's had a lot of them on medications they had questions about. It's sad because they don't know what to do."
Dr. Arendall graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2003. He was issued a license by the Arkansas State Medical Board in December 2002. It expires in May of this year. Any potential actions taken against his license would have to come from the board.
Detective Hartley stated that there were two women victims, and the investigation, and there was joint effort between the Alma and Arkansas State police forces in the investigation.
(Update 4-3-08) The number of women allegedly abused by Arendall has grown from 2 to 4, and he was captured Tuesday, along with money from a Ft. Smith deposit box and records which contained patient information. The accounts at his bank are frozen due to a pending divorce. On Wednesday, April 2, Arendall pled not guilty to two counts of 2nd degree sexual assault. Sexual assault in Arkansas carries a 5 to 20 year prison sentence and a $15,000 fine. Arendall was released on $25,000 bail under conditions including no contact with alleged victims and surrendering his passport.
(Update 6-11-08) Dr. Arendall was brought before the Arkansas State Medical Board Thursday, June 5.
Dr. William Clarence Jay Arendall is accused of fondling two patients who visited him at his Alma clinic in mid-February. Arendall is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse in Crawford County Circuit Court. The board issued an emergency order to suspend his medical license April 17.
Arendall, who has been licensed to practice medicine since 2002, denies the women’s charges. The board delayed action on his case until its Aug. 7-8 meeting to allow him to have an attorney present, and so the board can summon other women to testify.
During Thursday’s hearing, a 25-year-old Lavaca woman testified Arendall touched her inappropriately when she went to see him about back pain on Feb. 13. She said he pulled down her pants and underwear, touched her inappropriately and made sexual comments about her body. The woman reported the incident to the Alma Police Department that day.
A 45-year-old woman testified that Arendall removed her pants, rubbed her genitals and made sexually suggestive comments. The woman said she was in shock after it happened. She said she had been a patient of Arendall’s for six years, and he had never acted inappropriately before.
“Dr. Arendall I considered my friend, not only my doctor,” she said crying. “It was really hard for me to [report him].”
Arendall said he didn’t do “unclothed” exams on either woman.
“I always had a chaperone present when there would have been any type of unclothed physical,” he said.
His wife, Karla Arendall, testified that she was working in the office the days the women came in. Her desk is only about 10 feet from the exam rooms, and she would have heard if anything inappropriate were said, she said.
“The walls are thin,” Karla Arendall said. “It’s a small clinic and you can hear just about anything.” Both women have filed lawsuits against Arendall in Crawford County Circuit Court.
According to Brett Hartley of the Alma Police Department, 14 women have brought complaints against him, and there are now 2 lawsuits against him.
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14 comments:
I just wanted to respond to your blog....Dr Arendall and his wife in my opinion are wonderful people...if it wasnt for the doctor my child would not be here. Dr Arendall was the only doctor that realized there was something wrong when the others just blew it off as a chest cold.
I do not know what to believe as the truth yet but I do think that everyone should hold their judgement til both sides of the story are told and not go around spreading vicious lies and gossip that we do not know to be the truth!
I'm so sorry, cbofalma - but the the "vicious lies and gossip" are actually true. I'm close friends with one of the children, and they've been waiting for this to come to the surface. The family has been dealing with a lot of problems, and definitely doesn't needs this spread around everywhere or exaggerated any. But the story is true and he turned himself in after running for a few days. If you could all keep the family in your prayers. Just because he's done these things doesn't mean the rest of the family deserves to suffer, especially the wife and children.
If the wife and children suffer any (and I'm sure they will) it will all be due to the 'good' doctor's behavior and nothing the media does.
The 'good' doctor should never have put himself, let alone his family, in this position. I'm a registered nurse with about 34-35 years experience and I've NEVER had a male doctor NOT use a female standby when examining a female patient. I know the 'good' doctor knew about this precaution and if he ignored it, it was due to his own arrogance.
A lot of the comments I've read about how 'good' he is are by people who only know him on a 'professional' level. On a personal level he is anything but 'good'. It is only about Clarence Jay and nobody else. He really doesn't care about anybody else or how he hurts them. He would sell his own grandmother into prostitution if there was a profit in it for him!
You may have guessed that I have a very low opinion of this man and I can only trust the system to give him what he has deserved for many, many years.
Regarding prayer for the family - Amen.
We love you and if I could put my arms around all of you right now I would do so.
God keep us all from such situations.
And to those that this "may" have occured to my heart goes out to you also. I had a similar situation with another doctor in the local area who has since retired I believe but just ignored it because I didn't know what to do and because I didn't know how I would even prove such a thing.
You're right - Carla Arendall and her children are wonderful people and my heart goes out to her. I worked for this "man" for a short time and I can tell you for a fact the allegations are true. I had several complaints when I worked for him so I left his "employ" very quickly. I heard the comments he made about women patients and some very derogatory comments about his wife. He is NOT respected by his peers or anyone who really knows him. I am so glad he has been caught and I hope he goes to prison for many years. He is a horrible person. But it's too bad that his sweet wife and children have to suffer for his behavior. Now honestly, what kind of man would put his family through this??? Save your sympathy for the truly innocent.
I too worked for this "doctor" and he always seemed shady. My deepest sympathy goes to his wife and children. I hope they can get their life back on track.
innocent until proven guilty. don't believe everything you read
I was a patient of his for many years...He had made sexual comments about me as well as the other women and had asked me to undress for headaches i had been having. Needless to say, i never went back. This man needs help. I feel so sorry for his wife. She was working in that very office when these things were going on.
just to let you people know, this wonderful dr. jay arendall is my father and we are not suffering. he is a great man and he did not do anything bad!this is just a roller coaster of life that we have to go through and through the grace we will make it through! people who don't even know shouldn't be talking about him. they haven't gotten a chance to meet a truly wonderful man! he would never do anything like that b/c i was always in the back of the office and my mom worked in the front! I LOVE YOU DAD! (DR. ARENDALL)
I AM BREIGH ARENDALL, the daughter of jay arendall. i would just like to let you people know that my dad did not leave his family suffering. i love my dad and we will never leave him! i was in the back of the office alot and my mom worked in the front office, and he would never do anything like that to us. dullest_star if you are reffering to jayson as the family member saying things then you are wrong b/c we love him so very much! we love jayson too, so very much but he needs to make things right! people need to quit talking bad about him ecspecially if you've never met him. and i'm sorry if you've never gotten to meet this wonderful man!!! and to those nurses who have worked for him i know who you are, jya'll are wrong and you know it!!!
I would like to say I find this man odd. I went to mbsf when he was in medical school. He went around churches for them to send mony to support him because he was going to be a medical missanory. W my parents sunday school was one of meny that sent him money to pay for it. When he got done he went in private practice. He used so meny for moony that this hurts me. So I believe that if the msn did that to my parents Sunday school that yeah he would do the other. The man is scum.
to all you people who are accusing him, all of you are wrong. ya'll have no room to accuse somebody of anything as me being one of his children here is my voice.... i love my father very much, we're a southern baptist family, besides that ya'll know nothing about me, my dad, or about anyone else in the rest of my family. i suggest that you people keep your opinions to yourselves and that ya'll not worry about what goes on in my family. my dad may have been accused of things but he never did anything. please leave your comments to yourselves. the media is always just a bunch of balogne and is always trying to find something to spread rumors about. dont believe everything that is said on the internet.
~child of seven~
Jay was our pastor at Liberty Baptist. We sent money for years to pay for medical school so he could go be a medical missionary and then he went into private practice and avoided everyone. I don't know what happened in the office with those women but there was just always something off with him. I wasn't surprised when he didn't become a missionary because I had been suspecting a scam to pay for medical school all along.
Jay Arendall Died today 2-21-14
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