Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
USC President Lacks 'Moral Authority To Lead,' 200 Professors Say Following Controversy Over Campus Doctor
Two hundred professors at the University of Southern California have demanded the resignation of the school鈥檚 president, C.L. Max Nikias, saying that he no longer had the 鈥渕oral authority to lead鈥 and had failed to protect students and staff from 鈥渞epeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct.鈥 The letter was addressed to the board of trustees of the private university and signed by senior faculty members, who said they wanted to 鈥渆xpress our outrage and disappointment鈥 over how Mr. Nikias had handled reports that a gynecologist at the campus health center had mistreated students for decades. (Medina and Arango, 5/22)
Dr. George Tyndall routinely made crude comments, took inappropriate photographs and forced plaintiffs to strip naked and groped them under the guise of medical treatment for his "sexual gratification," according to civil lawsuits filed this week. The latest complaint announced by attorney Gloria Allred was filed Tuesday on behalf of Daniella Mohazab, a USC student seeking a master's degree in communications management. Mohazab said Tyndall saw her at the clinic in 2016 for an STD test. Tyndall made comments about her Filipina heritage, including telling her that "Filipinas are good in bed," according to court documents. (5/22)
The chairman of the school鈥檚 board of trustees expressed strong support for the school鈥檚 president Tuesday. The trustees鈥 executive committee has full confidence in the 鈥渓eadership, ethics and values鈥 of USC President聽C.L. Max Nikias, the board鈥檚 chairman John Mork said in a statement, 鈥渁nd is certain that he will successfully guide our community forward.鈥 Nikias released an action plan Tuesday to change the campus culture. (Svrluga, 5/22)
Nikias sent the campus community a 20-page "action plan" Tuesday that he said was prepared at the request of trustees. It called for a wide rethinking of university ethics that will include a rewrite of USC's Code of Ethics and a new presidential commission on improving campus culture. In a statement, Nikias said he understood "the faculty's anger and disappointment." "I am committed to working with them as we implement this wide-reaching plan and to rebuilding their trust," he said. (Ryan, Parvini and Hamilton, 5/22)
Meanwhile, in Ohio聽鈥
The president of Ohio State University has asked alumni for help with an investigation into reports of alleged sexual misconduct by a former university doctor. At issue are allegations against Richard Strauss, who died in 2005. To date, the university has received confidential reports alleging sexual misconduct from male athletes in eight sports. (5/22)