Dr. Ryan P. Hanson, an Ohio State Wilce Student Health Center physician, was convicted and found guilty of public indecency July 29.

However, the Ohio Medical Board did not take any action against Hanson until last Wednesday when The Lantern telephoned the board’s staff to investigate the delay in the case.

Hanson was arrested June 6 for exposing himself in a wooded area of Berliner Park. The park is nationally known as a pick-up spot for anonymous homosexual sex.

When physicians are convicted of a crime, the county prosecutor has the responsibility of reporting the conviction to the medical board, said Lauren Lubo, spokeswoman for the board. The board will then consider taking a disciplinary action.

Cynthia Seckerson, the assistant city attorney and the prosecuting attorney for Hanson’s case, said she did not report the case to the medical board because the defendant never mentioned he was a doctor.

“If the defendant doesn’t mention it, we have no way of knowing,” she said. People do not have a duty to report their professions if they are convicted.

If there had been a trial, the defendant’s profession would have been brought up in court, Seckerson said. Hanson had never pushed for a trial, so the question of his profession never arose.

Usually, the defense elaborates on the defendant’s positive characteristics to make him or her sound more reputable to the judge, Seckerson said.

However, she said the defense may have purposely hid Hanson’s profession because of the type of conviction — public indecency.

It’s possible for someone to escape public knowledge of a crime through legal loopholes, she said.

Hanson was fined $250 and added court costs for a fourth degree misdemeanor, said Scott Varner, spokesman for the city attorney’s office. He was also given a year’s probation, and he’s not allowed to trespass on any public park in the county.

“We became aware of Dr. Hanson’s situation, and we did bring it to the board’s attention,” said Elizabeth Conlisk, spokeswoman for OSU.

Restrictions had been placed on Hanson the day of the arrest, Conlisk said. Another person must be in the room with Hanson when he’s checking up on a patient.

Hanson had also been a volunteer doctor with the marching band.

“He is not with the band, and he is not with us right now, and I have no comment on this,” said Jon Woods, the marching band director.

According to the health center’s bylaws, “Corrective action against suction practitioner may be requested by any member of the medical and dental staff, by a clinical services administrator, by the chairman of any standing committee, by the director, or by the governing body. All requests for corrective action shall proceed in accordance with appropriate university statutes, rules and bylaws.”

Human resources, legal affairs and the medical board were also notified, Conlisk said.

“Any further action depends on the board’s action, which has not been completed,” she said.

According to local media, the board voted Wednesday to look over the possibility of reprimanding Hanson. They also sent him a letter advising him of his right to ask for a hearing in the next 30 days. If the board decides to punish Hanson, the discipline could range from probation to permanent revocation of his medical license.

Dr. Ted Grace, the director of health services at the health center, said the charges against Hanson were taken seriously.

“When I became aware of Dr. Ryan Hansons arrest last summer, I immediately reported it to the Ohio State Medical Board. The Medical Board regulates physician licensure, investigates complaints against physicians, and takes appropriate disciplinary action,” Grace said.

Grace said other than this incident, he hasn’t received any other complaints against Hanson, who has been employed at the Student Health Center since 1999, but disciplinary actions are being taken.

“I consider his conviction a serious situation and have placed Dr. Hanson on probationary status. This includes placement of certain limitations on his practice,” he said.

Spokespeople from the medical board were unavailable to make further comment to The Lantern, because they were on a board retreat.