USC med school dean out amid revelations of sexual harassment claim, settlement
LOS ANGELES - After the dean of the University of Southern California's medical school resigned last year amid long-running complaints about his drinking and boorish treatment of colleagues, university leaders assured students and faculty that his successor would be worthy of respect.
The man USC chose, however, had a black mark on his own personnel record: a finding by the university 15 years ago that he had behaved inappropriately toward a female medical school fellow.
USC formally disciplined the dean, Rohit Varma, in 2003 following allegations that he sexually harassed the young researcher while he was a junior professor supervising her work, according to confidential personnel records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times and interviews with people familiar with the university investigation.
As the Times was preparing to publish a story disclosing the case, USC announced Thursday afternoon that Varma was no longer dean.
"Based on previously undisclosed information brought to the university in recent days, USC
