Board approves voluntary surrender of license from dentist accused of hurting children

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By Samantha Manning

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The pediatric dentist accused of hurting young patients will never practice again in Florida.

Friday morning, the Board of Dentistry approved Dr. Howard Schneider's voluntary relinquishment of his license.

The board made the decision without any discussion.

This decision is one of the toughest punishments the Board of Dentistry can hand down.

It means Schneider can never again reapply for a dental license in the state of Florida.

It was a packed room for the meeting full of people but Schneider did not attend.

He wasn't required to be at the meeting and they weren't expecting him.

Action News did speak with one Jacksonville woman who came wearing a shirt saying “end dental abuse.” She says she is a supporter for the parents who say their kids were victimized by Schneider.

Action News was the first station to tell you about allegations that Schneider mistreated patients by unnecessarily pulling teeth that shouldn't have been pulled.

Groups of parents protested outside his office for weeks hoping for this very outcome. He closed his doors two weeks ago. The board chair said Friday's decision gives closure for the parents.

"We have gotten a conclusion. He is out of the system. He is not going to have contact with the children or anyone else in the state and that far throughout the country,"said Dr. William Kochenour, Florida Board of Dentistry chair.

Schneider does still have a license in Georgia. The board's decision will likely stop him from practicing anywhere.

Schneider is also being investigated by the state attorney general but they won't give details on what it's about.