A prominent Dallas plastic surgeon is stepping aside from his leadership role at UT Southwestern Medical Center while the hospital investigates alleged “unprofessional conduct.”
Dr. Rod Rohrich temporarily resigned as chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery, but remains a faculty member in good standing, according to a statement issued by the university late Friday.
The move comes two days after NBC DFW reported on a lawsuit against Rohrich by wealthy Dallas developer Luke Crosland.
Crosland accused Rohrich of having an affair with Crosland’s wife Mary, who is a former patient.
Luke Crosland accused Rohrich and his wife of secretly selling a $1 million diamond to fund a book project.
Rohrich and Mary Crosland co-authored “Navigate Your Beauty,” a book about plastic surgery.
Meanwhile, also late Friday, Judge Regina Moore issued a gag order in Luke and Mary Crosland’s ongoing divorce case and also in Luke Crosland’s lawsuit against Rohrich.
Attorneys said they could no longer discuss the case.
Rohrich is one of the highest-paid state employees. He earns $1.75 million per year, according to the Texas Tribune's online salary database. It was not immediately clear if he would continue to earn his full salary during the investigation.
UT Southwestern said in a statement it learned of “an allegation of unprofessional conduct” on Wednesday.
“Consistent with our commitment to holding UT Southwestern faculty, especially those in leadership positions, to the highest standards of integrity, we have initiated plans to investigate the alleged unprofessional conduct through a rigorous and thorough peer review process,” the statement said.
If the investigation clears Rohrich, the university said it expects him to continue as department chair.
“It is fundamentally important to UT Southwestern that all who work at the institution and all patients who come for care can be confident of the professionalism and high ethical standards of the entire faculty and especially of those in leadership positions,” UT Southwestern said.
