The number of male former USC students alleging sexual misconduct by a former university health physician is now at 21, according to an amended lawsuit.
The gay and bisexual men maintain Dr. Dennis A. Kelly discriminated against and battered them while serving as the only full-time men's sexual health doctor at the Student Health Center. There were six plaintiffs when the lawsuit was brought last month in Los Angeles Superior Court, but two amended complaints have been filed since then with additional claimants.
The plaintiffs in each of the suits are identified only as John Does. USC previously released a statement saying the university is "aware of the lawsuit and are concerned by its allegations."
"We're working to understand the facts of this matter," according to USC. "We care deeply about our entire Trojan family, including our LGBTQ community and take this matter very seriously. We will provide more information as it's available."
The suit alleges Kelly shamed and humiliated the plaintiffs for engaging in sexual acts with men, questioning their sexual history and using "demeaning and derogatory" terms.
"Plaintiffs are informed and believed, and thereon allege, that Dr. Kelly was targeting the gay and bisexual and male student population, all of whom were young adults and many of whom were visiting the doctor without a parent for the first time," the suit says.
The plaintiffs allege they were subjected to "intrusive and medically unnecessary rectal examinations."
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"Dr. Kelly did not treat heterosexual men in a similar manner and did not ... perform rectal examinations on heterosexual men who had similar sexual practices," the suit alleges.
Kelly retired in 2018 after working about 20 years at the campus clinic and denied the allegations.
