Penn Medicine hired a ‘con man’ | Morning Newsletter
And honoring Temple’s JoAnne A. Epps
The Morning Newsletter
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Our lead story follows how Penn Medicine hired a man for a top job with a history of theft from health care organizations.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Larry Butler, 58, started his new job as the senior director of facilities at Pennsylvania Hospital on July 17.
Penn Medicine welcomed its newest employee in an email to staff touting Butler’s “long, successful career in healthcare” and highlighted his tenure at a California hospital “where he served since 2015.”
But actually, Butler was in federal prison in 2015 after a judge sentenced him to five years for stealing tens of thousands of dollars from two healthcare organizations. Those organizations hired him for high-level jobs after he falsified his resume and Social Security number to hide his criminal record.
A simple Google search on “Larry Butler” and “hospital” shows a string of recent articles detailing his record.
Federal court records, reviewed by The Inquirer, detail how he used fake credentials to conceal what a U.S. District judge described as a “long and complex criminal history.” When he got these high-level jobs with access to company credit cards, he stole a total of nearly $119,000.
By August, Penn Medicine sent out a second email telling colleagues Butler resigned. Penn declined to discuss how it vetted Butler or if it knew about his history before offering him the job.
Read more to learn additional details about his history and his short time at Penn’s marquee hospital in Philadelphia.
Hundreds gathered at Temple’s Bell Tower to honor and remember JoAnne A. Epps who died suddenly on Tuesday.
Around 1,000 students, faculty, staff, and community members gathered for the noon vigil and promised to carry on her legacy, one that included restoring calm and unity after a tumultuous year.
Epps served Temple for nearly 40 years. She started as a law school professor, then dean, then provost, before becoming the leader of the university last April after Jason Wingard resigned.
Notable quote: “Like this university, JoAnne has changed lives,” said Marylouise Esten, a longtime Temple coworker who was like a sister to Epps. “That’s what she asked us to do. That is her legacy. We are her legacy.”
The board of trustees held an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss next steps, but has not named a new president. The board decided to posthumously remove the “acting” from her title, which means she’ll have a place in the university’s history as one of its presidents. Her photo will be hung in the board room with all other previous presidents.
Continue reading for more loving words from her Temple community.
What you should know today
Chester County will fully enclose the exercise yards at its Pocopson Township prison. It’s the latest security upgrade announced since convicted murderer Danilo Cavalcante escaped the facility last month.
David McCormick is running for Senate. The Republican Party is behind him this time, but he’ll be up against formidable incumbent Bob Casey.
According to a new report from the City Controller, The Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office can’t account for nearly 200 guns.
The Perkiomen Valley School District is considering opening some of its bathrooms to any gender, while restricting others to students of the same sex to resolve tensions over the use of bathrooms by transgender students.
The demolition of the beloved Melrose Diner began Wednesday. It’ll be replaced with a six-story apartment building with a smaller Melrose on the ground floor.
Philly Fashion Week is back for its 18th year, focusing on fantasy and the business of fashion. It will include the Avante-Garde Ball which founder Kevin Parker is calling “Philly’s own Met Ball.”
Philly-area billionaire Jeff Yass is not only one of TikTok’s biggest investors, but he has also donated millions to prevent the government from banning the app.
When Bradley Cooper and his creative team were looking to borrow authenticity for Cooper’s upcoming biopic on the famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, they knew who to call.
From his basement workshop in Ambler, Mark Horowitz makes the delicate batons made of wood for Broadway shows, opera productions, and orchestra concerts around the world. He’ll now add movies to the list with Maestro, which is slated to show in theaters in November.
The craft in Horowitz’s blood — his father was Bernstein’s baton maker.
In his own words: “I usually fall asleep thinking about how I’m going to make something in the shop,” Horowitz said. “I make sure they don’t pay me until they say, ‘I love the baton.’ And then I think it’s OK.”
Read on to learn what fuels Horowitz’s passion for the work, and stay to see a video of Horowitz create in his workshop.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
Which local park will be home to North America’s largest swing set?
A) FDR Park
B) Fairmount Park
C) Pennypack Park
D) None of the above
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
💭 Wondering: Who cut the holes into a Pennsylvania fur farm’s fence allowing 6,000 to 8,000 minks to escape?
🍿Watching: Normal People for the first time.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: The “Mummy of Reading”
EINSTEIN MALLOW
We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Wednesday’s anagram must have been a hard one. Thank you to everyone that tried to crack it but no one guessed it: Sparks Shot Tower. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
The weekend is so close, I can feel it. Enjoy the amazing weather, and thank you for starting your day with The Inquirer.