Opinion: About that scandal: what took so long, USC?

To the editor: As someone who holds three degrees from USC, I believe that the board of trustees must step in immediately to gain control of the spreading scandal regarding the university’s handling of the Puliafito affair. (Re: “What did USC know about dean, and when?” July 23)

Appoint an investigator independent of USC who will report and reporting to the board to determine who knew what and when. And create a code of ethics that USC’s upper level managers must follow.

Nowhere to date have I heard such a code mentioned in the Puliafito affair.

Eddie Dawes, Hacienda Heights

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To the editor: Isn’t it shocking that at no time did anyone at USC appear to notice anything odd or unusual about Carmen Puliafito’s behavior, and that credible evidence of his drug use was ignored, putting students and patients at risk.

I think USC was acting just like the Republican Congress both by its actions and inactions, and by basically insinuating that calls from The Times were “fake news.”.

Jayne Gordon, Santa Monica

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To the editor: While it is absurd and insulting that USC essentially covered up — or at the very least, did not act upon — what it they knew or suspected about Puliafito a year ago, it is even more absurd that it has they have hired an attorney (along with her firm) with close ties to USC. Does anyone actually believe this can be an unbiased investigation?

Holly Cantos, Los Angeles

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To the editor: There remains an intriguing question in the case of Puliafito, who ran USC’s Keck School of Medicine. He is a noted eye surgeon, a first-class researcher and a prodigious fundraiser.

With such an overloaded -plate in his day job, where did this man find the energy and stamina to allegedly spend his nights doing drugs — and perhaps other activities — with young women and men one-third his age?

If Puliafito could share the formula for such an achievement, he would make a real contribution to medical science.

Tom Tugend, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: Shame on The Times for its editorial crucifixion of Puliafito, and shame on USC for denying one of its own. Both The Times and USC have often stated that addiction is a disease, and should be treated as such.

Associating with criminals is a consequence of this disease, and for The Times and USC to paint it as a character flaw is hypocrisy.

Puliafito has been a compassionate physician and a benefactor of Keck and Los Angeles. He deserves compassion and treatment, not holier-than-thou condemnation.

Rachel and David Todd, San Marino

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To the editor: As a USC alumna, I am outraged at the handling of the Puliafito affair.

As a private citizen, I am not surprised, because money, power and greed seem to be the norm for all aspects of our society. They acted no differently than the Catholic Church with pedophile priests, or Enron, or Volkswagen.

Honesty is at the heart of the matter. From the very beginning, this was handled very badly.

The end result is that it has damaged the fine reputation of the university, and hiring a lawyer to investigate is not going to undo all the harm done. The Keck School of Medicine is an excellent medical institution and this PR crisis should not deter patients from seeing their medical professionals.

Joan Kerr, Torrance

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To the editor: Your reporting feels smeary, destructive and breathlessly sensational.

This man was obviously able to do his job, benefit the university and did not engage in bad behavior with other students or faculty members.

So why are you trying to destroy him and his family and play big man on campus?

I enjoyed it much more when you reported on the solar eclipse.

Karin Howard, Los Angeles

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