LOWELL, Mass. (AP) – A doctor who was being investigated for allegedly leaving one patient alone in his office to buy a new truck and becoming sexually involved with another has given up his medical license.

Dr. William J. Monafo, who specialized in pediatrics and the treatment of allergies, resigned his license two weeks ago, the Massachusetts Board of Medicine announced.

The board began investigating Monafo after receiving a list of complaints from a former employee last February.

The complaints date back to the summer of 2004, when Monafo allegedly “became sexually involved with (a) patient,” according to a letter sent by the former employee to the board.

The letter also accused Monafo of exhibiting inappropriate and strange behavior with several patients.

In one incident, he left his Townsend office twice on Feb. 8 to finalize a deal on a new truck, according to the complaint.

He allegedly first left the office for about 20 minutes around 9 a.m., even though two patients were in the office waiting to be seen, then left again in the early afternoon to pick up the new vehicle. He said that a 3-year-old patient had come in early for an appointment, and that he had “made the decision to put a skin test on this child and then leave this child and the mother alone in the office,” according to the letter.

Monafo could not be reached for comment. The phone at his office has been disconnected.

Monafo, a 1987 graduate of Washington University’s School of Medicine, had been licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts since 1992.

A physician who is under investigation or named in a complaint can submit an irreversible resignation to close an investigation, according to the Massachusetts Board of Medicine’s regulations.

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Information from: The Sun, http://www.lowellsun.com

AP-ES-01-01-06 1513EST