Dr. Lon Kopit’s Alleged Misconduct

(We emailed Dr. Kopit asking for comment before we published. He did not reply.)

A recent lawsuit against Dr. Lon Kopit, a well known Colorado custody evaluator, made troubling allegations of misconduct, including sexual assault, sexual battery, and severe emotional distress inflicted on Michael Caruso during a parental responsibilities evaluation (PRE). These accusations raise serious concerns about Dr. Kopit’s professional conduct and the integrity of his evaluations.

A Pattern of Misconduct

Dr. Kopit’s involvement in multiple cases has come under scrutiny for potential misconduct. In the case of Jing Tesoriero, Dr. Kopit’s evaluation failed to address critical issues regarding the father’s behavior, resulting in a tragic outcome where the father murdered his child before taking his own life. This incident highlights the grave consequences of inadequate evaluations. Similarly, Dr. Kopit’s evaluations were criticized for apparent bias and misrepresentation in the case involving Mary and Anne, undermining their parental rights and fair treatment.

Judge Lung’s Critique

 Judge Lung’s observations during the April 11, 2024, court proceedings shed light on the controversies surrounding Dr. Kopit’s evaluations. From court transcripts and rulings:

  • “Dr. Kopit’s evaluation, while critical of the father, did acknowledge some positive aspects, such as the father’s care for his son and his use of time-outs as a form of discipline. However, it was alarming that Dr. Kopit seemed to conclude that no recommendations could change his report. It is unsettling for a professional to claim that nothing could improve or be done differently from what was observed over a year ago.”
  • “The Court found it troubling that Dr. Kopit would assert that even full compliance with his recommendations would not alter his opinion. If recommendations are made, one would expect them to be capable of making a difference.”
  • Judge Lung ruled in a hearing that took place May 9ththat Dr. Kopit had gone outside the scope of the courts ruling when he completed a rebuttal report that the courts had not been informed of thus did not grant permission. Dr. Kopit’s report was ruled inadmissible as it was inappropriate, and the judge found it hard to believe that Dr. Kopit was unbiased or even credible.
  • Kopit was dismissed from the hearing due to a lack of objectivity and credibility.

The Caruso Case

 Michael Caruso’s lawsuit provides a disturbing account of Dr. Kopit’s behavior during the parental responsibility evaluation. The lawsuit alleges:

  • Sexual Assault: Kopit is accused of intending to cause harmful or offensive sexual contact with Mr. Caruso.
  • Sexual Battery:The lawsuit claims that Dr. Kopit engaged in non-consensual sexual contact with Mr. Caruso.
  • Extreme Emotional Distress: Kopit’s actions allegedly caused severe emotional distress to Mr. Caruso.
  • Retaliation – Caruso asserts that Dr. Kopit wrote a willfully fraudulent report as retaliation for rebuffing sexual advances.

An expert review conducted by Taylor Dreher, Ph.D., on May 2, 2024, of Dr. Kopit’s PRE report, submitted on May 2, 2023, in case number 22 DR 30466, uncovered significant flaws:

  • Bias and Misrepresentation:The review revealed that Dr. Kopit’s report was biased, presenting information in a manner that unfairly portrayed Mr. Caruso and failed to address critical issues related to Ms. Kristin Caruso. The evaluation process exhibited a clear bias, neglecting important information and misrepresenting the facts.
  • Neglect of Professional Standards: Kopit’s report was criticized for failing to follow professional guidelines. Key issues such as substance abuse, child abuse/neglect, and domestic violence were either neglected or minimally addressed. The report lacked necessary empirical research and professional consultation, compromising its validity.
  • Inadequate Consideration of Limitations:The report did not acknowledge its limitations or discuss the risks and benefits of the proposed parenting plan options, which is crucial for accurate and fair evaluations.

Quotes from Expert Review

Taylor Dreher, Ph.D., offered a scathing critique of Dr. Kopit’s PRE report: “Conversely, conclusions provided in the PRE report regarding Mr. Michael Caruso’s personality testing data also do not appear fully supported by the testing data and are presented in a way that portrayed Mr. Caruso in an overly negative light, also without fully integrating the data within the context of the PRE evaluation. Additionally, Mr. Caruso’s occupational history, especially with regard to his military involvement, is a specialized factor that should have been taken into consideration in the interpretation of personality testing results but is not addressed in that manner. Furthermore, important information provided by Mr. Caruso or that was available in supporting documentation and may have shown neutral or positive aspects of Mr. Caruso’s behavior and functioning was either omitted or not considered, including very relevant legal and medical documentation. Although Mr. Caruso’s interview presented a fairly balanced discussion of Ms. Caruso, and Ms. Caruso’s interview reflected a consistently negative portrayal of Mr. Caruso, this was not acknowledged by the PRE and would certainly be an important aspect to consider and discuss in a PRE report, especially when personality testing data is also considered. There are also concerns that the PRE may not have conformed to professional guidelines and standards, and additional substantive and specialized issues very relevant to the psycho-legal questions being answered were either neglected or very minimally addressed. Despite concerns reported for both parties, a substance abuse evaluation was only recommended for Mr. Caruso. Substance use as well as additional concerns of child abuse/neglect, possible alienation, and domestic violence warranted further evaluation and could have been formally assessed through administration of substance abuse, parenting, additional personality, and violence risk assessment measures provided to both Mr. Caruso and Ms. Caruso as part of the PRE evaluation process. At a minimum, the supplemental documentation (both legal and medical as well as various emails and letters) relevant to these issues should have been carefully reviewed, with a discussion of that review included in the PRE report, and appropriate and supported recommendations made for both parties. Empirical research should have also been examined and cited for this purpose. Although research was briefly mentioned at one point in the report, it was a generalized assertion and research bias was readily apparent in that sentence. Professional consultation was not mentioned in the report and would have also been a crucial route to fully addressing the specialized issues noted above. Additionally, a consultative review of the final report would have been very beneficial in addressing bias as well as cultural and religious considerations. Lastly, there are always limitations to a PRE evaluation that could impact the ultimate conclusions. It is important for these limitations to be acknowledged to the court and all parties involved. It is also imperative to weigh the risks and benefits to the child of the parenting plan options that are being considered. However, the limitations and consideration of risks and benefits were not discussed in this report. Ultimately, it is our opinion that despite the strengths initially mentioned in this review, the weaknesses described above far outweigh the strengths and are significant enough to undermine the accuracy and usefulness of this report for addressing parental responsibilities, especially those involving parenting time and decision making. As previously mentioned, recommendations for therapeutic support appear sound and warranted for both parties.”

Consequences of Unprofessional Conduct

 The alleged misconduct of Dr. Kopit has serious implications for families involved in family law cases:

  • Compromised Parental Rights:Misconduct can undermine the fairness of evaluations and decisions impacting parental rights.
  • Inaccurate Evaluations:Professional misconduct can lead to erroneous evaluations, affecting outcomes in family law cases.
  • Trauma and Emotional Distress:Those affected by such conduct may suffer from significant trauma and emotional distress.

Demanding Accountability

It is essential to hold Dr. Kopit accountable for his alleged actions. The integrity of family law evaluations relies on the highest standards of conduct from professionals. Ensuring transparency and justice for those affected by Dr. Kopit’s alleged misconduct is crucial to maintaining fairness and reliability in family law practices.

If you have a complaint about Dr. Kopit related to a PRE or CFI report he did for your family, please email Michael Caruso MCaruso@youngcaruso.com to share your story.