Medical Freedom on Trial: Ontario Dr. Sonja Kustka Suspended for Defending Patient Privacy

After 41 years of serving her community as a family physician, Dr. Sonja Kustka has been suspended without warning by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO)—not for harming patients, but for refusing to violate their privacy.

This is not just the story of one doctor. It’s a chilling warning about the growing surveillance culture in medicine and what happens when physicians put ethics over obedience.

What Did Dr. Kustka Do? She Protected Children and Defended Confidentiality.

Dr. Kustka’s “crime” began during COVID, when she wrote mask exemptions for two young children with asthma—including one six-year-old Girl Scout whose troop leader reported her to the CPSO.

This triggered a multi-year investigation, and the College quickly demanded full, unredacted medical records for every patient who had received a COVID-related exemption (mask, vaccine, PCR test) or been prescribed ivermectin. Dr. Kustka—acting in accordance with the Privacy Act—refused to hand over names, OHIP numbers, and other personal identifiers, but did offer fully redacted files with all clinical data intact.

The CPSO said no.

Dr. Kustka believed consent from her patients was required. When she notified them, nearly 200 patients objected and even formed a group to fight the order in court, arguing that their health data should remain private. They were joined by the father of the young Girl Scout and one patient, Leslie Peel, who allowed her name to be included in the case.

Unfortunately, courts ruled the application was “premature” and refused to grant the group standing—leaving the core privacy issue unresolved.

The Verdict: A Punishment Without Precedent

On June 17, 2025, without prior notice, Dr. Kustka’s lawyer received an email: her license was suspended for 4 months, effective that night at midnight.

This blindsided her practice. There was no time to transfer patient files, no doctor in place to handle emergencies, and no plan for the 2,000–3,000 patients she served. Prescription renewals, test results, and chronic care appointments were all abruptly halted.

To add insult to injury, the OPSDT (Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal) also ordered her to:

• Pay the CPSO $39,295 in costs by July 17, 2025

• Hand over complete records—unredacted—for all patients who received any COVID-19-related exemptions or were prescribed ivermectin

• Face license revocation if she fails to comply

She’s already facing over $300,000 in legal costs, and her professional liability insurance provider refused to defend her once she said she could not comply with CPSO demands.

An Outrageous Abuse of Power

At one point, the College assigned 30 investigators to her case—a shocking waste of taxpayer resources to pursue a physician with no record of harming patients.

Even more troubling: the scope of the CPSO’s surveillance went far beyond COVID. Dr. Kustka was also ordered to supply a list of every patient she saw every two weeks for 18 months, including their reason for visit. She complied—using initials and age—but this too was rejected as “non-compliant.”

This raises urgent questions:

• How far can a regulatory body go in accessing private medical files?

• Why is the CPSO rejecting anonymized, clinically complete records?

• How is public “safety” served by cutting thousands off from care overnight?

Let’s be clear: this is not about patient safety. If it were, the College would have accepted redacted files, reviewed treatment decisions, and only sought identities where legitimate harm was suspected. This is about control—and compliance.

Support Dr. Kustka’s Legal Fight

Dr. Kustka stood up for her patients. Now she needs Canadians to stand up for her.

✅ Donate Online

Make a one-time or monthly donation to help cover her mounting legal costs:
🔗 https://www.fundingthefight.ca/sonja_kustka

✅ Buy Me A Coffee

You can also contribute through a credit card donation here:
🔗 buymeacoffee.com/support_dr_kustka

✅ Send an eTransfer

Email: [email protected]
(Do not use old Privacy Is Your Right email addresses)

Take Action: Contact the CPSO

Let them know how you feel about this ruling and how it has left thousands without care.

📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 416-967-2600
📬 Mail: CPSO, 80 College St, Toronto, ON, M5G 2E2

Ask: How do patients find continuity of care when the College suspends doctors without notice?

WATCH the Derek Sloan recently interviewed Dr. Kustka HERE.

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