By Himanshu Chand | Updated on October 30, 2025
Durham, N.C. — Families are demanding accountability from Duke Health after shocking revelations surfaced that a former fertility doctor, Dr. Charles Peete, secretly used his own sperm to inseminate patients decades ago. The discovery has left dozens of families reeling, with genetic testing confirming that Peete fathered more than a dozen children outside of his immediate family.
One of the former patients, Laurie Kruppa, said she trusted Dr. Peete when she underwent artificial insemination at Duke Hospital more than 35 years ago. She later discovered through DNA testing that the biological father of her three children was not an anonymous donor, but her fertility doctor.
“We trusted him,” Kruppa told WRAL. “Either he didn’t care or he figured it didn’t matter.”
Kruppa revealed that she informed her children about their conception in 2018, and through 23andMe genetic testing, they confirmed Peete was their biological father. When she reported her findings to Duke Health, the institution said they had no prior knowledge of the misconduct.
Instead of pursuing legal action, Kruppa initially called for training to prevent such violations in the future. Now, five years later, she wants Duke Health to notify all of Peete’s former patients and cover the cost of genetic testing for their potential biological children. She also emphasized the medical importance of knowing genetic history, as one of her children suffered from a disease that could have been better treated with accurate family health information.
Duke Health Responds
In a statement, Duke Health acknowledged the “unacceptable actions” that occurred “in the early days of fertility care,” roughly 40 years ago.
“The unacceptable actions could not happen today at Duke Health and should never have happened,” the statement read.
The health system said it has been in contact with affected families who came forward and encouraged others to reach out. Duke also assured that modern practices now use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track eggs, sperm, and embryos, preventing such incidents from recurring.
Dr. Charles Peete, who worked at Duke for nearly four decades, died in 2013, leaving behind unanswered questions about how many families were affected.
More Victims Come Forward
Another woman, Summer McKesson, also discovered through DNA testing that Peete was her biological father. She and several newly found half-siblings connected online after matching through genetic databases.
“Growing up, I used to joke that I was adopted because I looked so different,” McKesson said. “I probably have a lot of other siblings in their forties that need to know.”
McKesson’s discovery came after she sought genetic testing for health reasons following blood clots and open-heart surgery. She was stunned to learn her parents’ fertility doctor—not the intended donor—was her genetic father.
Similarly, Jim Harris, another of Peete’s biological children, said his parents were told the sperm would come from a Duke medical student, not the physician himself.
“Duke needs to tell all the mothers,” Harris urged.
The Push for Fertility Fraud Laws
While several U.S. states have enacted fertility fraud laws, North Carolina has yet to do so. Activists like Eve Wiley, who faced a similar experience in another state, have been leading efforts to pass legislation nationwide.
“We want to capture the criminal side of it as well,” Wiley said.
So far, 14 states have passed laws criminalizing fertility fraud, but victims in North Carolina currently have limited legal recourse.
Kruppa, McKesson, and others are now calling on lawmakers to act—and on Duke Health to take stronger steps toward transparency.
“I think we need the genetics; we might be able to find more victims,” Kruppa said. “Who knows how many?”
As more families turn to DNA testing services like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, experts believe additional cases of fertility fraud could surface, underscoring the urgent need for clear accountability and stronger legal protections for patients.