“Smile You’re on Camera.” (His license was later reinstated with conditions.) Saleh has spray-painted a serial message on When lawyers asked Saleh about Malcolm’s his driveway to anyone who begins the drive probation, he declined to answer their down it. “Do Not. Cross. The White Line.” interrogatories, saying that was “privileged After the message, he’s sprayed a white line. confidential information afforded to Saleh says he’s merely protecting his daughters, substance abuse records.” Saleh also cited but the neighbors take the security as an insult “psychotherapist-patient privilege.” — and a sign that something is amiss. This last claim of a doctor/patient When it comes to neighborhood relations, relationship appears to suggest that Malcolm in fact, something is wrong. One neighbor, wasn’t just Saleh’s employee, but his patient as who complained well. Saleh says that work crews no — that he was damaged adjacent merely extending properties when confidentiality to constructing Saleh’s someone whose magic theater, medical progress hammered stakes he was privy to. into the ground (Reached by phone to prevent further at his current damage. Saleh told nursing job, the crew to drive Malcolm declined over them, noting to discuss his the property in probation or the question was a circumstances that city right-of-way. lead to it. “I’ve tried When the neighbor to move on with came into his yard my life,” he said.) to discuss it, Saleh There’s no says he told him evidence drug he was going to go abuse played a get his role in Malcolm’s Knife-throwing is part of Dr. Saleh’s burgeoning magic act, but it also made an appearance in a 2010 police report, in which AK-47 and shoot decision to his wife complained he practiced knife-throwing after the two the man in the ass. discharge Yvonne argued, as a form of intimidation. Other neighbors Johnston. Today, tick off a list of Saleh blames the complaints. One says Saleh’s wife drives down hospital (under new ownership since then) the road at speeds of 50 mph or more. Another for not getting his required signoff before says the family ignores all invitations to block discharging a patient. That’s not what Saleh’s parties. A third complains he hears Saleh lawyer argued in response to the lawsuit, throwing knives in his driveway at 4 a.m. All however. In court documents, Saleh said he believe that something is going on behind the agreed with the discharge because Johnston Salehs’ gate. didn’t exhibit signs she was suicidal, was “If you find the right person, I’m sure doing well on her medication and had excellent family support. you’ll get an earful,” promised one woman The legal settlement is not a matter of who declined to open the door. public record, though some in the legal In response to his neighbors’ criticisms, community believe Saleh’s portion was Saleh retorts that not one of them has ever about $1 million. Saleh himself declined said hello. He says one neighbor told him her to comment about it, other than to say the dog doesn’t like colored people. “They don’t hospital was ultimately to blame. Although he know anything about me, so they make up was responsible for Malcolm, he says, the staff rumors,” he says. “I’m a gangster. I’m Mafia. didn’t follow his orders or hospital bylaws that I’m a drug dealer.” state a patient should not be released without Saleh has no plans to abandon his private written orders of the attending physician. oasis, however. In fact, he says, he plans to be “If my lawyer had pushed hard, I would cremated and buried in the yard — and, quite have been exonerated,” says Saleh, adding that possibly, haunt his neighbors forever after. “Maybe I will have someone walk up and he should have gone to Johnston’s lawyer and down the street, throwing my ashes up and asked to testify on behalf of the plaintiff. He down the road.” would, he contends, have been “a star witness.” Such irreverence is as much a part of Saleh’s DNA as his apparent contradictions: A psychiatrist who champions superficial beauty, a detox doctor whose passion is illusion, an elusive aleh lives on a street shaded by live figure who is also a shameless self-promoter. oaks and draped in Spanish moss, near And while Saleh was initially hard to contact, he where Pottsburg Creek, the Arlington proved remarkably open in conversation, willing River and the St. Johns River converge. to discuss almost anything. Neighbors say it’s a quiet place where folks He admits to being something of an watch out for each other. But Saleh’s property oddball. “I’m not a traditional psychiatrist,” doesn’t fit that mold; it’s instead an eyesore he says. “I’m eccentric, yeah. I’m vain and I of aggressive privacy. He’s built a seven-foot have no problem saying it.” white plastic privacy fence across his front But Saleh’s faith in his own ability is yard and part way down the drive, and the unshakable. Calling himself an “idealistic oak trees outside the fence are posted visionary,” Saleh adds, “I’m the high priest with signs: of medicine.” “Keep Out” “Private Property” Susan Cooper Eastman “Beware of Dog” sceastman@folioweekly.com
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16 | FOLIO WEEKLY | MAY 10-16, 2011