Summary of LEAC concerns and actions - 01/1/2026 - 3/31/2026

During the 2025-26 academic year, the LEAC committee used a process for reviewing and addressing reports received by the LEAC committee. The committee categorizes learning environment concerns into five categories:

A: Mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were reviewed and founded, egregious.

B: Mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were reviewed and founded, not egregious.

C: Mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were not founded though reported concerns may have impacted the learning environment but not resulting in a violation.

D: Insufficient information to follow up on the incident.

E: Unprofessional behaviors that are not a learning environment violation were reported.

For January 1, 2026 – March 31, 2026, the LEAC committee reviewed and acted on concerns received through ONE 45 or BEACON. LEAC met three times during this period of time. The summary of reviewed concerns includes 0 Category A concerns, 6 Category B concerns, 4 Category C concerns, 0 Category D concerns, and 0 Category E concerns. The learning environment where the concerns occurred: Phase I (6), Phase II (3), Longitudinal Curriculum (1).

• One concern related to a resident being perceived as dismissive of students. Following committee discussions, the case was deemed Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern related to an attending being perceived as dismissive of residents and students. After discussion with the committee, it was deemed Category C, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were not found.
• One concern related to a faculty member who’s behavior was reported to have made medical students uncomfortable in group learning sessions. The case was discussed by the committee and determined to be Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern reported a staff member perceived as being negatively biased against a specific ethnic group. After review of comments from the individual’s unit director and discussion amongst the committee, this was deemed Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern reported a faculty member’s interaction with students to be dismissive and condescending. After department chair meetings and discus-sions with the committee, the case was deemed Category C, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were not found.
• One concern, as reported by one faculty member about another faculty member, described their colleague as creating a hostile learning environment. Following meetings with the unit director and discussion amongst the committee, the case was deemed Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern reported a faculty member’s perceived disparaging manner with students. This was discussed with departmental leadership and within the committee. The case was deemed Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern related a resident’s perceived hostile and dismissive manner with students. Following discussions with the program director and upon committee review, the concern was deemed Category B, mistreatment or unprofessional behaviors were founded, not egregious.
• One concern reported a faculty member making comments on several occa-sions which were perceived by students as inappropriate or intimidating. Following feedback from the course director and after committee discussion, this concern was deemed Category C, mistreatment or unprofessional behav-iors were not found.
• One concern reported a faculty member expressing their political opinion re-garding health policy. After discussion with the course director, the commit-tee deemed the concern Category C, mistreatment or unprofessional behav-iors were not found.

In December 2025, a LEAC subcommittee, the TRIAGE committee, was formed. This group of three LEAC VTCSOM student representatives and three LEAC senior advisors was created to review reported concerns which do not clearly indicate LEAC review and to provide a transparent process for selection of concerns to be presented at the full LEAC.

The TRIAGE committee, which reviews and acts upon concerns received through ONE 45 or BEACON, did not meet during this period of time because no reported concerns met the criteria for Triage Committee review.

Respectfully submitted:
Rebecca R. Pauly, MD
Vice Dean