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Letters to the Editor: What USC is doing to reform its leadership and increase transparency

Tommy Trojan stands guard over a quiet USC campus near downtown Los Angeles in March 2020.
(Los Angeles Times)
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To the editor: The leadership at USC is fixing problems — work that is well documented publicly — and fostering a culture of accountability. It is USC’s responsibility to provide the facts about our work, including:

• USC acknowledged a delay in evaluating information from a confidential resource about alleged druggings and a possible sexual assault at a fraternity. Once USC’s Clery Office became aware, USC informed the community and reported it to the Department of Education.

• USC is in full compliance with the federal settlement over former campus gynecologist George Tyndall and the resolution agreement with federal Office of Civil Rights.

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• USC has shared voluminous documentation related to past scandals and subsequent reforms on the website change.usc.edu.

• USC referred the matter regarding former School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Flynn to federal prosecutors in 2018 and is fully cooperating.

• USC hired the consultant Barrett Values Centre to conduct the “Culture Journey” work.

Kyle Henley, Los Angeles

The writer is USC’s senior vice president of communications.

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To the editor: Scandal after scandal, yet there is not much mention of the Board of Trustees’ response to lack of leadership and issues of safety for USC students.

The board chairman, billionaire businessman Rick Caruso, is considering running for mayor of Los Angeles. What does he promise for a city struggling to recover from the pandemic, economic decline, environmental crises and other issues?

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Families are paying a high price for children to attend USC, and some of that money is being used to push doctors, administrators and top leaders into well-funded retirement. There are colleges with unblemished leadership, so parents should look elsewhere.

Donna C. Myrow, Palm Springs

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