Ex-stripper testifies in own defense in fraud psychology case

From the Boston Globe

Louise Wightman, the celebrated stripper once known as Princess Cheyenne, testified today in her own defense, telling a jury that she never claimed to be a licensed psychologist when she spent seven years treating children for eating disorders and other serious problems.

Wightman, who is accused of fraud and practicing psychology without a license, described completing 120 credits of academic coursework at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology before withdrawing in 2001 short of receiving a degree. Under questioning by her own attorney, Wightman said that she dropped out of school when a dean whom she did not identify asked about her career as a stripper in Boston’s Combat Zone in the 1970s and '80s.

Believing that she had completed the work for a doctorate in psychology, Wightman said she turned to the Internet and paid $1,300 for a degree from Dominica-based Concordia College & University.

“I thought it was real,” Wightman said in a husky voice in Suffolk Superior Court. "Online degree programs were becoming more accepted and OK, and I did all the work that was required.”

Wightman testified that she did not realize that the Concordia degree was bogus until she lost it, tried to get a replacement copy, and was asked to pay another $1,300.

Under cross examination, Wightman acknowledged that she withdrew from her doctorate program shortly after her adviser confronted her about practicing psychology without a license for operating therapy centers in Hingham and Norwell. She also conceded that she applied to the state for a license to be a mental health counselor only after Fox 25 Undercover aired a report in February 2005 about her past as Princess Cheyenne.

Wightman, 47, of Hull, faces 14 counts of felony larceny, five counts of filing false healthcare claims, five counts of insurance fraud, and one count of practicing psychology without a license. Assistant Attorney General David Andrews alleges she took nearly $40,000 from unsuspecting parents while posing as a licensed psychologist after buying a bogus doctorate online from a diploma mill.

Wightman, who now has an unassuming appearance, wore a modest pink sweater and black slacks today when she took the stand. Her testimony marked the first mention to the jury of her past as Princess Cheyenne.

When she said the dean “found out that I used to be a stripper,” her lawyer, Katie Cook Rayburn, asked her where she worked.

“In Boston,” Wightman said without elaborating.

Three women on the jury smiled and looked at other jurors. The judge quickly cautioned the panel not to consider anything about Wightman’s background that was not relevant to the trial.

Some of Wightman's clients told the Globe Sunday Magazine last year that they felt betrayed by her, but others stood by the therapist, saying she was a good listener.

Among the witnesses called by prosecutors were about dozen parents of her former patients and two young adults whom Wightman treated as teenagers. Several of the parents questioned Wightman's treatment of their children, saying some disorders were improperly diagnosed and some self-destructive behavior was taken too lightly.