BY HANK REICHMAN

Today, May 22, two hundred tenured faculty members at the University of Southern California (USC) released an open letter to the school’s board of trustees calling for the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had “lost the moral authority to lead” in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of sexual abuse.

There have been calls for Nikias’ ouster on social media and in an online petition circulated by alumni since the Los Angeles Times last week detailed the institution’s handling of Dr. George Tyndall.  A student petition calling for Nikias’s removal has, as of this posting, attracted over 2,400 signature.  But today’s letter marks a first display of public criticism from some of the university’s most highly respected faculty members. Those signing the letter represent 14 different schools within the university and include some of USC’s most prominent scholars, including former deans, department chairs and distinguished professors.  Ariela Gross, a nationally known expert in race and slavery who holds the title of John B. and Alice R. Sharp professor of law and history, helped draft the letter and described it to the Los Angeles Times as “a there’s-no-turning-back, regime-change letter.”

Tyndall was the subject of numerous complaints from students and staff beginning in the 1990s, but was removed from the clinic only after a frustrated nurse reported him to the rape crisis center in 2016.  The university struck a secret deal with Tyndall that allowed him to resign with a financial payout. USC did not report him to the medical board at the time, a decision Nikias and other school leaders have called a mistake.  Seven women have sued the university.

The Tyndall case was only the latest in a string of scandals that has undermined faith in Nikias.  Last year it came out that Carmen Puliafito, a prolific fundraiser whom Nikias helped select as dean of the medical school, used methamphetamine and other drugs and partied with prostitutes while overseeing the school and treating patients. His successor, Rohit Varma, was forced out after the Times discovered that USC had settled a sexual harassment claim against him by a female researcher.

“We have this recurrence of faulty decisions,” Dan Simon, Richard L. and Maria B. Crutcher professor of law and psychology, told the Times.  “It must be a function of the institutional culture — the institutional norms of reporting, of openness, of admitting error.”  K.C. Cole, a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said: “There is a sense of corruption that plagues USC that is just unbearable.”

“There’s been a yearlong ethical cloud that has been hanging over our university and for many of us this was the final straw,” said Nelson E. Bickers, a professor of physics who served as vice provost for several years under Nikias.  “Our president has done an incredible job of fund-raising and making capital improvements, it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing, but when it comes to the human side that’s where there have been real shortcomings and failings,” Professor Bickers said. “If the university doesn’t have values it can show then the whole thing begins to fall apart.”

About an hour after the faculty members sent the letter, board Chairman John Mork released a statement saying that while trustees were “troubled by the distressing reports” about the campus doctor, “The executive committee of the board has full confidence in President Nikias’ leadership, ethics, and values and is certain that he will successfully guide our community forward.” The full board consists of 59 members, 42 men and 17 women.

Nikias joined the USC engineering faculty in 1991, later became the dean of the engineering school and was appointed provost in 2005 and became president in 2010.

The following is the text of the faculty letter:

May 22, 2018

To the Board of Trustees:

We, the undersigned faculty, write to express our outrage and disappointment over the mounting evidence of President Nikias’ failure to protect our students, our staff, and our colleagues from repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct. In his recent letter to the University community, President Nikias referred to the actions of gynecologist George Tyndall as a “breach of trust.” With all due respect, President Nikias’ own actions and omissions amount to a breach of trust. He has lost the moral authority to lead the University, and in addition, to lead the investigation of institutional failures that allowed this misconduct to persist over several decades. President Nikias must step aside to allow new leaders to take the necessary steps to repair the damage.

As the Los Angeles Times has reported, USC kept a physician in a position of power and trust who abused that power and trust to sexually assault and degrade women students, targeting for abuse the most vulnerable international and minority students. The University’s conduct is as much at issue in this case as the physician’s. Numerous students and nursing staff reported Dr. Tyndall’s misconduct in the years between 2000 and 2014, yet Dr. Tyndall was suspended only in 2016, after one brave staff person reported him to USC’s rape crisis center. After concluding that the charges against Dr. Tyndall were true, the University allowed him to resign quietly. By failing to notify the state Medical Board, law enforcement, or patients, the university allowed Dr. Tyndall to keep his medical license, continue preying on women outside USC, and escape the consequences of his abuse. President Nikias writes that “in hindsight,” it was wrong not to notify the Board.

The University Administration’s actions have been wrong at every turn, and not only in hindsight. In this case, as in prior cases, faced with an ongoing pattern of serious wrongdoing by a powerful University official, the University has kept the wrongdoing quiet, settled financially with the wrongdoer in secret, and denied any responsibility on the part of the University. There still has been no public report of the investigation into the two cases involving USC medical deans, nor any visible attempt to determine what University administrators knew and when they knew it, and why they waited as long as they did to take action. We lament that, time after time, the administration has admitted to its failings only after being exposed by the Los Angeles Times. We also watch with deep distress as the university’s reputation is marred in the national press and in international circles.

We call upon President Nikias to step aside, and upon the Board of Trustees to restore moral leadership to the university. We also call on the Board to reaffirm the core mission of the University, “the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit.” We can only reach our full development as a community if we support all our members – students, staff, faculty, and alumni – in safety, respect, and trust. Restore our trust in USC by standing up for its highest ideals.

Sincerely yours,

1. Tom Abrams, Professor of Cinematic Arts
2. Elinor Accampo, Professor Emerita of History
3. Paul S. Adler, Harold Quinton Chair in Business Policy and Professor of Management
and Organization, Sociology, and Environmental Studies
4. Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, Dean’s Professor of Gender Studies and Political Science
5. Mike Ananny, Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism
6. Murali Annavaram, Professor, Electrical Engineering
7. Michael Arbib, University Professor Emeritus and Fletcher Jones Professor of Computer
Science Emeritus
8. Don Arnold, Professor of Biological Sciences
9. Sandra J. Ball-Rokeach, Professor of Communication and Sociology Emerita
10. Lois Banner, Professor Emerita of History
11. François Bar, Professor of Communication and Spatial Science
12. Peter Baxendale, Professor of Mathematics
13. Marjorie Becker, Associate Professor, History and English
14. Judith M. Bennett, John R. Hubbard Professor Emerita of History
15. Estela Bensimon, Dean’s Professor in Educational Equity and Director of The Center for
Urban Education
16. Brian Bernards, Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and
Comparative Literature
17. Timothy J. Biblarz, Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology
18. Nelson E. Bickers, Professor of Physics
19. Marlon G. Boarnet, Professor of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis
20. Don Bohlinger, Professor of Cinematic Arts
21. Francis Bonahon, Professor of Mathematics
22. John Boudreau, Professor of Management and Organization
23. Laurie A. Brand, Robert Grandford Wright Professor of International Relations and
Middle East Studies
24. John S. Brekke, Frances Larson Professor of Social Work Research
25. Bruce Alan Brown, Professor of Musicology
26. Linda J. Brown, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
27. Sharon M. Carnicke, Professor of Dramatic Arts and Slavic Languages and Literatures
28. Ben Carrington, Associate Professor of Sociology and Journalism
29. Julie Cederbaum, Associate Professor of Social Work
30. Iris Chi, Chinese American Golden Age Association Frances Wu Chair of Chinese
Elderly
31. K.C. Cole, Professor of Journalism
32. J.D. Connor, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
33. Midge Costin, Kay Rose Professor in Cinematic Arts
34. Nick Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy
35. Thomas G. Cummings, Professor of Management and Organization
36. P. Daniel Dapkus, W. M. Keck Dinstinguished Professor Of Engineering
37. Joanna Demers, Professor of Musicology
38. William Deverell, Professor of History
39. Roberto Ignacio Diaz, Associate Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature
40. Christina Dunbar-Hester, Associate Professor of Communication
41. Alice Echols, Barbra Streisand Professor of Contemporary Gender Studies and Professor
of History
42. Suzanne Edmands, Professor of Biological Sciences
43. Nina Eliasoph, Professor of Sociology
44. Moh El-Naggar, Robert D. Beyer (‘81) Early Career Chair in Natural Sciences and
Associate Professor of Physics, Biological Sciences, and Chemistry
45. Robert D. English, Associate Professor of International Relations, Environmental
Studies, and Slavic Languages and Literatures
46. JoAnn M. Farver, Professor of Psychology
47. Sarah Feakins, Associate Professor of Earth Sciences
48. Jack Feinberg, Professor of Physics
49. Edward Finegan, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Law
50. Peer C. Fiss, Professor of Management and Organization and Sociology
51. Kate Flint, Provost Professor of Art History and English
52. Susan L. Forsburg, Gabilan Distinguished Professor in Science and Engineering and
Professor of Biological Sciences
53. Kenneth Foster, Professor of Practice and Director, Arts Leadership at USC
54. Robeson Taj Frazier, Assoc. Professor of Communication
55. Gelya Frank, Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and
Anthropology
56. Alice Gambrell, Associate Professor of English
57. Diane Ghirardo, Professor of the History of Architecture
58. Adam Knight Gilbert, Associate Professor of Early Music and Musicology
59. Rotem Gilbert, Associate Professor of Musicology and Early Music, Thornton School of
Music
60. Jason Glenn, Associate Professor of History
61. Joshua Goldstein, Associate Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Cultures
62. Myron F. Goodman, Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry
63. Nitin Govil, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
64. Richard K. Green, Professor and Lusk Chair in Real Estate
65. Jennifer Greenhill, Associate Professor of Art History
66. Ariela J. Gross, John B. and Alice R. Sharp Professor of Law and History
67. Larry P. Gross, Professor of Communication
68. Wolf Gruner, Shapell-Guerin Chair in Jewish Studies and Professor of History
69. Thomas Gustafson, Associate Professor, English and American Studies and Ethnicity
70. Stephan Haas, Professor and Chair of Physics and Astronomy
71. Karen Halttunen, Professor of History
72. William Handley, Associate Professor of English
73. Mark J. Harris, Distinguished Professor of Cinematic Arts, Mona and Bernard Kantor
Chair in Production
74. Olivia C. Harrison, Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature
75. Hossein Hashemi, Professor of Electrical Engineering
76. Dennis Hedgecock, Paxson H. Offield Professor in Fisheries Ecology
77. Benjamin Henwood, Associate Professor, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
78. Albert Herrera, Professor of Biological Sciences
79. Edwin Hill, Associate Professor of French and American Studies and Ethnicity
80. Thomas A. Hollihan, Professor of Communication
81. Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, Florence Everline Professor of Sociology
82. David Howard, Professor of Cinematic Arts
83. Suzanne Hudson, Associate Professor of Art History and Fine Arts
84. Kyung Moon Hwang, Professor of History
85. Priya Jaikumar, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
86. David E. James, Professor of Cinematic Arts
87. Georgia Jeffries, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
88. Henry Jenkins, Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism and Cinematic Arts
89. Richard Jewell, Professor Emeritus of Cinematic Arts
90. Clifford V. Johnson, Professor of Physics
91. Amelia Jones, Robert A. Day Professor of Art and Design
92. Jane Junn, Professor of Political Science and Gender and Sexuality Studies
93. Aniko Imre, Professor and Chair of Cinema and Media Studies
94. Peggy Kamuf, Professor Emerita of French and Comparative Literature
95. Gregory Keating, William T. Dalessi Professor of Law and Philosophy
96. David Kempe, Associate Professor of Computer Science
97. Adrianna Kezar, Professor of Education
98. James R. Kincaid, Aerol Arnold Professor Emeritus of English
99. Marsha Kinder, University Professor Emerita
100.Edward Kleinbard, Robert C. Packard Trustee Chair in Law
101.Dorinne Kondo, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and Anthropology
102.Vitaly Kresin, Professor of Physics
103.Bhaskar Krishnamachari, Professor of Electrical Engineering
104.Anna Krylov, Gabilan Distinguished Professor in Science and Engineering and
Professor of Chemistry
105.Josh Kun, Chair in Cross-Cultural Communication, Professor of Communication
106.Lon Kurashige, Professor of History and Spatial Sciences
107.David Lavond, Professor of Psychology
108.Sonya Lee, Associate Professor of Art History and East Asian Languages and
Cultures
109.Lisa Leeman, Professor of Cinematic Arts
110.Paul Lerner, Professor of History
111.Anthony F. J. Levi, Professor of Electrical Engineering
112.Janet Levin, Professor of Philosophy
113.Audrey Li, Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and Linguistics
114.Paul Lichterman, Professor of Sociology and Religion
115.Emily Liman, Professor of Biological Sciences
116.Megan R. Luke, Associate Professor of Art History
117.Nancy Lutkehaus, Professor of Anthropology, Political Science and Gender
Studies
118.Noah Malmstadt, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials
Science, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemistry
119.Frank Manis, Professor of Psychology
120.Gayla Margolin, Professor of Psychology
121.Doe Mayer, Mary Pickford Chair of Film and Television Production
122.Edwin McCann, Professor of Philosophy and English
123.Jacquelyn McCroskey, John Milner Professor of Child Welfare
124.Teresa McKenna, Associate Professor Emerita of English
125.Jill McNitt-Gray, Professor of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering
126.Tara McPherson, Professor of Cinematic Arts
127.Natania Meeker, Associate Professor of French and Comparative Literature
128.Michael A. Messner, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies
129.Beth E. Meyerowitz, Professor of Psychology
130.Matthew Michael, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
131.Jon Miller, Professor Emeritus of Sociology
132.Tania Modleski, Florence R. Scott Professor of English and Professor of English
and Comparative Literature
133.Peter Monge, Professor of Communication and Professor of Management and
Organization
134.Judy Muller, Professor Emerita of Journalism
135.Carol Muske-Dukes, Professor of English
136.Juliet Ann Musso, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Management
137.Dowell Myers, Professor of Public Policy
138.Maggie Nelson, Professor of English
139.Viet Thanh Nguyen, University Professor and Aerol Arnold Chair of English
140.Panivong Norindr, Associate Professor of French & Comparative Literature
141.John Odell, Professor Emeritus of International Relations
142.Amy F. Ogata, Professor of Art History
143.Ann Owens, Associate Professor of Sociology
144.Tim Page, Professor of Music and Journalism
145.Christine Panushka, Professor of Cinematic Arts
146.Sunyoung Park, Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures and
Gender Studies
147.Manuel Pastor, Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change and
Professor of Sociology and American Studies and Ethnicity
148.Scott Paterson, Professor of Earth Sciences
149.Nathan Perl-Rosenthal, Associate Professor of History
150.Michael Peyser, Professor of Cinematic Arts
151.Elena Pierpaoli, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
152.Krzysztof Pilch, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
153.Amanda Pope, Professor, School of Cinematic Arts
154.Michelle Povinelli, Gabilan Distinguished Associate Professor of Science and
Engineering and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics and
Astronomy
155.Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Associate Professor of Social Work
156.Hanna Reisler, Lloyd Armstrong Jr. Professor in Science and Engineering,
Professor of Chemistry
157.Violina Rindova, Captain Henry W. Simonsen Chair in Strategic
Entreprenuership, Professor of Management
158.Howard A. Rodman, Professor of Cinematic Arts
159.Daria Roithmayr, George T. and Harriet E. Pfleger Professor of Law
160.David Rollo, Professor of English
161.David Roman, Professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity
162.Margaret Rosenthal, Professor of Italian
163.John Carlos Rowe, USC Associates’ Professor of the Humanities
164.Margaret Russett, Professor of English
165.George J. Sanchez, Professor of History, American Studies & Ethnicity
166.Sergio Sanudo-Wilhelmy, Professor of Biological and Earth Sciences
167.Hilary Schor, Professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Law
168.David Schwartz, Associate Professor of Psychology
169.Vanessa R. Schwartz, Professor of Art History and History
170.Lisa Schweitzer, Professor of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis
171.Ellen Seiter, Stephen K. Nenno Chair, Cinema and Media Studies
172.Danzy Senna, Associate Professor of English
173.Laura Isabel Serna, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies
174.Nayan Shah, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and History
175.Robin Shakeshaft, Professor of Physics
176.Brett Sheehan, Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Cultures
177.Dan Simon, Richard L. and Maria B. Crutcher Professor of Law and Psychology
178.David Sloane, Professor of Public Policy
179.Kathy Smith, Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts
180.Sheila M. Sofian, Professor of Cinematic Arts
181.Geoffrey Spedding, Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
182.Craig Stanford, Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology
183.Nomi Maya Stolzenberg, Nathan and Lilly Shapell Chair in Law
184.William G. Thalmann, Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature
185.Daniel Tiffany, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
186.Dorian Traube, Associate Professor of Social Work
187.Jennifer B. Unger, Professor of Preventive Medicine
188.Avelardo Valdez, Professor of Social Work and Sociology
189.Jody Agius Vallejo, Associate Professor of Sociology and American Studies and
Ethnicity
190.Nicholas Warner, Professor of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy
191.Michael Waterman, Professor of Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Computer
Science
192.Gary Watson, Provost Professor of Philosophy and Law
193.Mark Weinstein, Associate Professor of Finance, Business Economics and Law
194.Suzanne L. Wenzel, Richard and Ann Thor Professor in Urban Social
Development
195.Diane Winston, Knight Chair in Media and Religion, Associate Professor of
Journalism
196.Carol Wise, Associate Professor of International Relations
197.Curt Wittig, Paul A. Miller Professor of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, and Professor
of Chemistry
198.Jaso Zevin, Associate Professor of Psychology and Linguistics
199.Chongwu Zhou, Professor of Electrical Engineering
200. Erin Graff ZiVin, Professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Comparative
Literature