4 ms·

Giving someone illegal drugs, watching them OD, then lying to the cops about why they're passed out is pretty bad. Agree that if you get caught doing that as a

Giving someone illegal drugs, watching them OD, then lying to the cops about why they're passed out is pretty bad. Agree that if you get caught doing that as a leader of a high-profile organization, you should get fired. However, this article seems to be trying to whip up anger not just for that particular case of depraved negligence, but more broadly for the fact that Dr. Puliafito led a hard-partying secret double life. The puritanical impulse to hold people to super-high standards of wholesome rectitude in their private lives seems silly to me, and I think it's ultimately to the detriment of large institutions, whether universities or government or big corporations or whatever else. I'd much rather work for a highly competent CEO who indulges a few vices in her private life than a soup sandwich straight arrow, so long as the party animal keeps things professional while at work. [edited: previous draft erroneously said he gave his companion prescription opiates, not the case]

mijoharas 9y ago
Does it say anywhere that he gave people prescription opiates? Only thing I saw that was similar was him giving a prescription for an asthma inhaler.
- travisl12 9y ago
  It does not. It refers only to prescriptions for asthmas inhalers to treat burned throats from smoking various drugs.
- leroy_masochist 9y ago
  You are correct, it does not, my mistake - the article implies that he gave his companion who OD'ed GHB and/or meth (neither of which is a prescription opiate), as well as the inhalers you mentioned.
cwkoss 9y ago
I think the source of the anger lies in the double standard where south-central LA non-student residents in the same position would likely face jail time, but the Pasadena police appear to have willfully turned a blind eye because of Puliafito's social status: they confiscated meth without bringing any charges. Smells like a cover up, by both Pasadena police and USC admin. And USC seems to be gaining a reputation for cover-ups.
- leroy_masochist 9y ago
  I believe California has a safe harbor law that deters prosecution of people for drugs found on-scene when first responders are called for an OD (in order to reduce reluctance to dialing 911 in such cases). However, I'm not a lawyer. Agree more broadly that there's a massive double standard in terms of how drug laws are enforced between rich/white neighborhoods and poor/nonwhite ones.
kafkaesq 9y ago
The puritanical impulse to hold people to super-high standards of wholesome rectitude in their private lives seems silly to me The "in their private lives" part stops (not just stops - comes to a screeching halt) when we have incidents in which other people's lives are directly (and callously) endangered. By someone in a high-profile position in the medical profession, on top of that. In fact, that's precisely the point at which we star to call it a "legitimate public interest story". So it's not a story about puritanical moralistic standards -- or about this guy's "party animal" life on the side (per se) - at all.

mijoharas 9y ago

Does it say anywhere that he gave people prescription opiates? Only thing I saw that was similar was him giving a prescription for an asthma inhaler.

travisl12 9y ago
It does not. It refers only to prescriptions for asthmas inhalers to treat burned throats from smoking various drugs.
leroy_masochist 9y ago
You are correct, it does not, my mistake - the article implies that he gave his companion who OD'ed GHB and/or meth (neither of which is a prescription opiate), as well as the inhalers you mentioned.

cwkoss 9y ago

I think the source of the anger lies in the double standard where south-central LA non-student residents in the same position would likely face jail time, but the Pasadena police appear to have willfully turned a blind eye because of Puliafito's social status: they confiscated meth without bringing any charges. Smells like a cover up, by both Pasadena police and USC admin. And USC seems to be gaining a reputation for cover-ups.

leroy_masochist 9y ago
I believe California has a safe harbor law that deters prosecution of people for drugs found on-scene when first responders are called for an OD (in order to reduce reluctance to dialing 911 in such cases). However, I'm not a lawyer. Agree more broadly that there's a massive double standard in terms of how drug laws are enforced between rich/white neighborhoods and poor/nonwhite ones.

kafkaesq 9y ago

The puritanical impulse to hold people to super-high standards of wholesome rectitude in their private lives seems silly to me The "in their private lives" part stops (not just stops - comes to a screeching halt) when we have incidents in which other people's lives are directly (and callously) endangered. By someone in a high-profile position in the medical profession, on top of that. In fact, that's precisely the point at which we star to call it a "legitimate public interest story". So it's not a story about puritanical moralistic standards -- or about this guy's "party animal" life on the side (per se) - at all.