LGBTQ Students Accuse Doctor of Sexual Assault

In another scandal at the University of Southern California (USC), a student health center doctor has been accused of multiple instances of sexual assault against male LGBTQ students over the past two decades.

According to an August 2019 Buzzfeed article, 48 gay or bisexual men —all former USC students—have accused Dr. Dennis Kelly of violating them. Kelly retired in 2018.

The Allegations

The plaintiffs claim that during exams, Kelly performed unnecessary rectal probes that also included genital fondling. Dr. Kelly, according to the plaintiffs, asked inappropriate questions about sexual behavior and used crude anatomical terminology.

Kelly reportedly told the men they needed rectal exams for STD testing and HIV prevention. Some of the plaintiffs were allegedly told to take off their clothes, get on the exam table and assume a dog-like position by perching on hands and knees.

According to Buzzfeed, the plaintiffs — some as young as 18 at the time of the alleged violation — had remarkably similar accounts.

Early Lawsuit Coverage

In February, the Los Angeles Times reported on the lawsuit, initially filed by six male LGBTQ plaintiffs. At that time, the newspaper indicated that none of the men issued a formal complaint with university administration when the alleged sexual assaults occurred, though one man reportedly did speak with another physician on staff. He says that doctor told him the rectal exam shouldn’t have been performed.

But according to Los Angeles Magazine, five of the 48 male plaintiffs claim to have reported their alleged assaults to USC administration shortly after they happened.

“Three of the five characterized the university as non-responsive and never returned phone calls or followed up in any way,” writes Los Angeles Magazine. “Another victim indicated he was told the event was too dated to investigate. The fifth former student claims it wasn’t until the lawsuit was filed in February that he got any response at all from USC—nearly a year past the time in which he had let them know of the issue with Dr. Kelly.”

Student Protests

A judge has given preliminary approval for a $215 million settlement for for a class action brought against Dr. George Tyndall, a USC gynecolgist accused of sexually abusive conduct against young women during gynecological exams.

The two lawsuits have created a significant public relations crisis for USC.

On campus, student protests have erupted over the University’s opposition to Assembly Bill (AB) 1510, according to the school newspaper, the Daily Trojan. The state bill would extend by one year the statute of limitations (if it has run) for those claiming to be victims of sexual abuse by campus doctors. The Daily Trojan reports that the university has hired a lobbying firm to oppose the bill.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.