Southeast
Medical director of Virginia hospital goes on trial for alleged sexual abuse of former patients
The former longtime medical director of a Virginia hospital that serves vulnerable children used physical examinations as a “ruse” to sexually abuse two teenage patients, a prosecutor said Monday, while the physician’s attorney “adamantly” denied any inappropriate conduct.
The trial of Daniel N. Davidow of Richmond, who for decades served as the medical director of the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, opened Monday morning in New Kent County, where a judge will weigh the charges against him.
Davidow, along with the hospital and its parent company, faces a separate civil proceeding in which dozens of former patients have accused him of inappropriate touching, allegations he also has denied. He was criminally charged in December 2022 with four felony counts in connection with allegations made by two of those former patients.
HUNDREDS ACCUSE MASSACHUSETTS DOCTOR OF SEXUAL ABUSE, INAPPROPRIATE EXAMINATIONS
The young women, who were teenagers when they were admitted to Cumberland, both testified Monday, saying Davidow groped their breasts and genitals during a physical examination as part of the admissions process.
“I teared up. I was in shock,” one woman told the court.
One woman said the abuse continued in subsequent exams, and the other said she had additional encounters in which Davidow touched her inappropriately or made her uncomfortable.
Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents is seen on Sept. 20, 2022, in New Kent, Virginia, where Daniel N. Davidow was the medical director. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
T. Scott Renick, the top prosecutor in New Kent County east of Richmond, where the hospital is located, said in his opening statement that the girls were in extremely vulnerable conditions, living without their parents or other caregivers at the residential facility that specializes in complex cases and sometimes takes patients from other states under court order.
“The truth is that the so-called exams were a ruse” to touch the two girls inappropriately, Renick said, adding that as the medical director for the facility, Davidow “had complete control over them.”
Defense attorney Craig Cooley said Davidow “adamantly” denies the allegations. He said other clinicians who had been in the room with Davidow during exams as a chaperone will testify that they never saw any inappropriate touching of either former patient, and he described Davidow as a dedicated physician committed to helping even the most difficult or medically complex children.
Cooley also raised concerns about the former patients’ motivations, noting that they are each seeking many millions of dollars in the pending civil matter.
“They have an interest in the outcome of this case,” he said.
One of the former patients told Cooley during a pointed exchange that she was unfamiliar with the legal system and never set out to win compensation. She engaged with the attorneys representing her in the civil case because she thought they could help her “by getting justice,” she testified.
The Associated Press is not naming either woman because it generally does not identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted.
Near the end of Monday’s hearing, after the prosecution rested its case, Cooley — a well-known Virginia defense attorney — made an unsuccessful motion to strike the charges, raising concerns about the women’s credibility and discrepancies between various accounts they had given about the alleged misconduct.
“We have these accusations, but they change,” he said.
Renick responded that Cooley was trying to “get us all off in the woods” by noting what he characterized as minor differences in accounts they’d given. Inconsistencies or additions to the testimonies of victims are normal, he said.
“When kids come forward and they disclose in these situations it’s not always all at once,” he said.
Davidow, 71, pleaded not guilty to two counts of a felony indecent liberties charge and two counts of object sexual penetration, also a felony.
Cumberland, located about a half-hour’s drive, east of Richmond, treats children and young adults with complex medical needs, including chronic illnesses, brain injuries and neurobehavioral disorders. Cooley described it as unique in the country for the type of cases it takes on, accepting patient referrals from around the world, he said.
Cooley, who listed nearly three dozen witnesses who may be called, was expected to begin presenting his defense Tuesday.
He declined to comment after Monday’s hearing, as did attorneys representing the former patients in the civil case.
Virginia State Police began investigating staff at the hospital in October 2017, a spokeswoman has said, and Davidow is at least the third former Cumberland staffer to be charged with a crime in connection with a patient.
One, a psychotherapist, was charged with sexually abusing a patient and died by suicide the same day he was due in court for a plea hearing. The other, a behavioral technician, was sentenced to a year in prison after pleading no contest to an allegation that she intentionally burned a disabled child with scalding water.
Five plaintiffs in the civil case, which has survived an attempt by the defendants to have it dismissed and another attempt to have its claims pared back under the state’s medical malpractice law, are set for trial in September.
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The wife of a Georgia high school teacher who died after what authorities described as a late-night senior prank gone wrong has asked for all charges to be dropped against the students involved.
Five North Hall High students were arrested after going to math teacher Jason Hughes’ Gainesville home armed with toilet paper to carry out a long-standing prank tradition. Hughes, 40, was the intended target Thursday night.
As the group tried to leave in two separate vehicles, Hughes was walking toward the street when he tripped and fell into the slippery roadway, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. He was then run over by a car driven by 18-year-old Jayden Ryan Wallace.
Rather than an angry confrontation, the father of two was “excited and waiting to catch them in the act,” his wife, Laura, told The New York Times.
‘DING-DONG DITCH’ PRANK ERUPTS IN GUNFIRE, LEAVING JUVENILE SHOT AND HOMEOWNER UNDER ARREST: POLICE
Jason and Laura Hughes were both teachers at North Hall High School. (Facebook/ Laura Palmer Hughes)
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our family is determined to prevent a separate tragedy from occurring, ruining the lives of these students,” Hughes said. “This would be counter to Jason’s lifelong dedication of investing in the lives of these children.”
The Hugheses were both teachers at the public school and devoted their lives to teaching. According to the New York Post, the prank had evolved into an ongoing battle where students lost “points” if the teacher caught them in the act.
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Jayden Ryan Wallace, 18, was arrested on Saturday, March 7, 2026, and charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, along with misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and littering on private property. (Hall County Sheriff’s Office)
VIRGINIA MAGAZINE EDITOR, 23, KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN WHILE CROSSING STREET
Wallace and the other teens stopped and attempted to help Hughes while waiting for first responders. The teacher later died from his injuries.
Wallace faces felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving, along with misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass and littering on private property. The other 18-year-olds, identified by police as Elijah Tate Owens, Aiden Hucks, Ana Katherine Luque and Ariana Cruz, were also arrested at the scene and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass and littering on private property.
Jail records show that Wallace was arrested on Saturday and has a total bond of $1,950. All five students have since been released on bond, court records show. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office for comment on Laura Hughes’ statements.
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According to the Hall County School District, Hughes was a teacher at North Hall High School. He was listed as a math teacher on the school’s website. The school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes posted on its Facebook that Hughes was also a golf coach at the school. (Facebook/ Laura Palmer Hughes)
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Along with being a math teacher at the high school, the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes posted on its Facebook that Hughes was also a golf coach at the school.
In a statement to FOX 5, the school said: “Our hearts are broken. Jason Hughes was a loving husband, a devoted father; a passionate teacher, mentor, and coach who was loved and respected by students and colleagues. He gave so much to so many in numerous ways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife and family. We ask that the media and the public respect their privacy as they grieve.”
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In a GoFundMe, a family friend asked for funds to help with future planning for his two children.
“Jason’s life was a blessing to so many, and his untimely passing will be indescribably difficult for his wife and two young boys for years to come,” the fundraiser said.
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Southeast
Virginia Dems send Spanberger bill that could let some repeat offenders out without secured bond, expert warns
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A top national figure in the bail industry warned of the dangers behind a Virginia bill heading to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk that would remove bond requirements for previously convicted felons.
Virginia state Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, drafted HB 357, which critics say makes it easier for criminals to get out of jail on an unsecured bond. The bill passed both chambers in Richmond along party lines.
In comments to Fox News Digital on Monday, National Association of Bail Agents President Michelle Esquenazi said she was familiar with the Virginia legislation and that it will only serve to erode public safety.
“We believe any time recidivist offenders are released due to unsecured bail policies, it puts communities in direct danger,” Esquenazi said. “Many are unaware of how secured bonds insulate public safety throughout the United States of America.”
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Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger arrives at a canvass launch event in Lake Ridge, Virginia, on Nov. 2, 2025. The image also shows an empty jail cell in a composite photo. (Win McNamee/Getty Images; Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“This bill is in direct contrast to the needs of all communities in Virginia, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent.”
Esquenazi said criminals don’t choose victims based on political ideology and that policymakers have failed to understand that bringing criminals to justice should be nonpartisan.
While Callsen did not respond to requests for comment, similar legislation in recent years has often come about as a wish for offenders to receive “second chances” — a dynamic Fox News Digital asked Esquenazi about.
“The secured bail industry is an industry of second chances,” she said.
“However, if you’re going to continue to commit crime, policymakers have to understand and take into account that committing crime is not a mandate. It’s a career choice.”
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The Virginia Capitol in Richmond, Va., is shown on March 4, 2010. Virginia lawmakers handled hundreds of bills on Feb. 13, 2024, as a key legislative deadline neared. (Steve Helber/AP)
Policies like HB 357 serve to give recidivists more than just second but third and subsequent chances because a second chance is “only a title,” which the policies themselves far exceed, she said.
Justice Forward Virginia, a progressive criminal justice reform group focused on advancing related legislation, listed the bill in its section of 2026 priorities. The group did not respond to a request for comment.
Callsen’s bill removes language from Code of Virginia § 19.2-123 governing “Release of accused on unsecured bail or promise to appear” that currently states any person arrested for a felony or who is on bond for an unrelated arrest or on parole may only be released upon securing a secured bond.
Instead, it retains only language providing preestablished conditions of release for that offender.
Other critics took to X, including Club For Growth’s Andrew Follett, who posted a passage from Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn about a civilian being punished more for being caught with a concealed knife than a felon for whom it would be “mere misbehavior; tradition” — and commented that “Democrats have a crush on criminals — it isn’t more complicated than that.”
“Under leftist ideology, society is responsible for crime, not individuals,” Follett said.
“Or, [Virginia House] Speaker Don Scott is preparing for his next arrest,” quipped another X user.
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Scott, D-Portsmouth, served more than 7 years of a 10-year 1994 sentence for federal crack cocaine-related charges — and was one of thousands of convicts who had their rights to vote and serve in office restored by GOP Gov. Robert F. McDonnell in 2013.
After former President Biden pardoned him in 2025, Scott said that his “journey from being arrested as a law student to standing here today as the first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates in Virginia’s 405-year history is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and transformative power of second chances,” according to Hampton Roads’ ABC affiliate.
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Southeast
‘90 Day Fiancé’ alum’s boyfriend on trial for attempted murder over wild ‘Boca Bash’ accusations
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The boyfriend of a reality TV star who appeared on “90 Day Fiancé” faces trial this week on charges he tried to murder her while they were boating in South Florida.
Cole Goldberg was initially charged with domestic battery by strangulation. The charge was upgraded more than a year after the incident to attempted second-degree murder, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said Goldberg and Caroline Schwitzky, 32, got into a heated argument while the two were attending the annual boat party event, “Boca Bash” on April 24, 2022. At the time, the couple had been dating for about a year.
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Cole Goldberg, the boyfriend of “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?” star, Caroline Schwitzky, is accused of trying to strangle and drown her in Florida. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
When Schwitzky attempted to escape the vessel, Cole “was grabbing her very aggressively” to keep her on the boat, according to a police report obtained by Law&Crime.
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Caroline Schwitzky, 32, was attacked by her boyfriend while on a boat in Florida, authorities said. She was also arrested for a warrant from another county, according to jail records. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
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Schwitzky, the CEO of Miami talent agency Urge and a mom of three, allegedly punched Goldberg’s arms to free herself during the struggle, which lasted roughly 20 minutes. She jumped into the water to swim to a nearby boat, a witness told authorities.
Goldberg went after her and allegedly tried to drown her. A bystander named Matt Paris jumped in and intervened.
Boca Bash on Lake Boca Raton on April 27, 2025, in Boca Raton, Florida. Hundreds of party-goers floated on the lakes in boats, kayaks and paddle boards. (Greg Lovett/Imagn)
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Schwitzky appeared on “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?” in 2016 as talent agent to Paola Mayfield.
According to CourtTV, prosecutors offered Goldberg a plea agreement that would have required him to serve six months in jail and three years of probation, as well as write a 500-word letter of apology. He turned down the offer, saying he would not accept a plea to a felony.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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