Vangsness
Vangsness v. University of Southern California CA2/1
Opinion
Opinion
Weingart, J.
BACKGROUND
A. A Resident Reports Vangsness’s Alleged Misconduct In June 2017, Vangsness had worked for 30 years as an orthopedic surgeon and professor in the orthopedic residency program at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Marie Dusch was a resident who had completed a 10-week orthopedic sports
1 All unspecified statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure. 2 Vangsness’s writ petition also sought to set aside a separate sanction imposed on him relating to academic misconduct. The trial court set aside the academic misconduct findings and the sanction imposed based on them. USC initially appealed that portion of the court’s order but later dismissed its appeal. Accordingly, we do not further discuss issues related to the alleged academic misconduct.
2 medicine rotation with Vangsness. On June 14, 2017, Dusch met with a residency program director, Dr. Daniel Oakes, and told him that Vangsness had made gender-based comments and inappropriately touched her on the cheek. Oakes reported Dusch’s complaint to USC’s office of general counsel, and USC’s office of equity and diversity (OED) began an investigation. B. The Faculty Handbook Before proceeding, we review the…