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
The New York Times: 200 Professors Call For Ouster Of U.S.C. President, Citing Lack Of ‘Moral Authority’
Two hundred professors at the University of Southern California have demanded the resignation of the school’s president, C.L. Max Nikias, saying that he no longer had the “moral authority to lead” and had failed to protect students and staff from “repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct.” The letter was addressed to the board of trustees of the private university and signed by senior faculty members, who said they wanted to “express our outrage and disappointment” 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)
The Associated Press: USC President Urged To Resign Over Response To Complaints
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 Washington Post: Pressure Mounts On USC President To Resign After Scandals
The chairman of the school’s board of trustees expressed strong support for the school’s president Tuesday. The trustees’ executive committee has full confidence in the “leadership, ethics and values” of USC President C.L. Max Nikias, the board’s chairman John Mork said in a statement, “and is certain that he will successfully guide our community forward.” Nikias released an action plan Tuesday to change the campus culture. (Svrluga, 5/22)
Los Angeles Times: 200 USC Professors Demand Nikias Step Down; Trustees Express 'Full Confidence' In President
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 —
The Associated Press: Ohio State President Seeks Info About Alleged Misconduct
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)
