Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
UCLA Gynecologist Charged With Sexual Abuse
Royce Hall is pictured at the University of California, Los Angeles, in a recent file photo. (Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist/KPCC)
()
UCLA revealed a months-long internal investigation against one of its longtime obstetrician-gynecologists on Monday when the former doctor turned himself in.
In a statement, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said Dr. James Heaps surrendered to law enforcement on Monday after being charged with sexual battery.
A spokesman for the L.A. County District Attorney said prosecutors had charged Heaps last month with two counts of sexual battery and one count of sexual exploitation of a patient and that he was scheduled to be arraigned at the Airport Courthouse on Monday.
The charges are the result of two victims who came forward to complain about Heaps' treatment of them in 2017 and 2018. UCLA said it knows of two separate complaints against Heaps.
Support for LAist comes from
UCLA says Heaps retired last year when the university moved to fire him in the wake of the investigations against him.
The four allegations against the former UCLA campus gynecologist pale in comparison to the hundreds of allegations against former USC gynecologist George Tyndall.
Heaps worked part time at the UCLA student health center until 2010 and was on staff at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for 20 years. The university said the incidents occurred in 2017 and 2018 at a UCLA medical facility.
Block says UCLA is conducting a review of how the university handled the complaints.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity. -
The landslide is not connected to the greater Portuguese Bend landslide, city officials said. -
Nom. Nom. Nom. The event destroyed the internet when it was first announced — and sold out in minutes. -
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach.
Best of LAist