NY dentist says case of mistaken identity has led to threats
HUNTINGTON, N.Y. - A Long Island dentist says he is the victim of a mistaken-identity nightmare.
The pediatric dentist shares a name with another pediatric dentist in Florida who is accused of harming young patients, reports CBS New York.
There's Long Island's Dr. Howard W. Schneider, and there's Dr. Howard S. Schneider in Jacksonville, Florida, who is accused in class-action lawsuits of strapping children down and unnecessarily pulling teeth from their mouths, reports the station.
The Schneider in Long Island fears the name mix-up could ruin his reputation.
"It was horrible," he told the station. "I couldn't sleep for three days."
After Schneider's office in Huntington, Long Island, was besieged with threatening calls, employees now answer the phone saying, "Hello, this is Dr. Howard Schneider's office of Huntington, Long Island, not of Jacksonville, Florida."
Schneider says he also received nasty messages online and responded with a message of his own: "Thank you for writing. This story is not about me. We don't do things that way."
He says his Facebook page is now filling up with messages of support.
The Howard Schneider in Florida has denied any wrongdoing and has relinquished his dental license and closed his practice, CBS affiliate WJAX reported.