Michigan State University broke the law by waiting 17 months to notify the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs that it was investigating one of its medical resident physicians for allegedly sexually assaulting patients and later dismissed him from its residency program, the agency's spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press.
Although the MSU police launched an investigation on April 3, 2025, into Arpit Saxena's conduct at the university's Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Clinic in East Lansing, it took until Sept. 9, 2026, for anyone at MSU to alert LARA, said Anastasha Osborn, director of communications for the agency.
By failing to report within 30 days disciplinary action "that results in a change of employment status or adversely
affects clinical privileges," MSU violated the Michigan Public Health Code, Osborn said.
MSU also violated state statutewhen it did not immediately notify LARA when Saxena was dismissed from its residency program on Oct. 8, 2025, Osborn confirmed on Friday, Oct. 16, in an email message to the Free Press.
Saxena had a controlled substance license and an osteopathic physician educational license issued by LARA on May 1, 2024. Those licenses were active in Michigan until June 30, 2026, when they subsequently lapsed and were not renewed, documents show.
His medical licenses were never marred with any indication of disciplinary action and no notation that he was under investigation or had been dismissed for misconduct while working at the MSU clinic between July 1, 2024, and April 7, 2025, according to documents obtained by the Detroit Free Press under the Freedom of Information Act.
It means Saxena could have worked elsewhere while MSU was investigating sexual assault allegations and even after the university dismissed him from its residency program, and his new employer would have been unaware. MSU's failure to promptly report it to the state licensing board could have allowed Saxena to continue the same pattern of behavior that six patients now allege was not medical treatment but sexual abuse.
"Failure to comply with the reporting requirements established under MCL 333.20175 would constitute a violation of those statutory requirements," Osborn said, noting that there isn't a specific penalty spelled out in the law for failing to meet those reporting deadlines.
She added, however: "LARA cannot speak to potential consequences under other laws outside the department's regulatory authority."
The Detroit Free Press asked MSU for details about when and how it reported the allegations against Saxena to the state licensing agency, including why it took so long to alert LARA of its investigation, of the change in Saxena's clinical access to patients, of his Oct. 8, 2025, dismissal from the residency program, and more.
University spokesperson Amber McCann did not immediately respond to questions from the Detroit Free Press on Friday, and did not answer questions earlier in the week about MSU's obligation to inform the licensing/regulatory agency that oversees physicians in the state of serious allegations that could affect the safety of others or about whether the university has protocol that spells out the process for reporting.
Saxena, 40, a native of India, was living with his wife and two small children in Alabama before his Sept. 10, 2026, arrest at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. There, U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement reported he was detained while trying to board a plane for Amsterdam with a final destination of India, an effort to flee the country.
He was criminally chargedon Sept. 3, 2026, with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in jail or prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.
Saxena treated 105 patientsduring his time at the MSU clinic from July 1, 2024, to April 7, 2025, McCann said.
All of them have been sent letters from the university to advise them of the charges against Saxena and to urge them to come forward if they suspect they also were assaulted during treatment. An MSU Department of Police and Public Safety hotline and email address were set up so people could call 844-996-7873 or send an email to tips@police.msu.edu if they have concerns about their care.
As of Wednesday, six patients had come forward to report sexual abuse during treatment at the MSU clinic. Of them, three have filed notice of intent to sue documents in the Michigan Court of Claims.
Those documents reference additional reports of sexual assault dating back to Saxena's time working as a medical resident for Cahaba Medical Care in Centreville, Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The Detroit Free Press contacted Cahaba Medical Care, which is affiliated with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, for information about Saxena's previous work history and to ask about allegations of sexual assault or harassment during his tenure.
In an emailed statement, the medical center said only this: "The safety and well-being of our patients is our highest priority. This individual is no longer affiliated with Cahaba Medical Care. Because this is an active legal matter, we are unable to comment further."
The Alabama Medical Licensure Commission did not return phone calls from a Detroit Free Press reporter seeking details about whether there had been any disciplinary action or reports of misconduct dating back to August 2021-December 2023, when Saxena held a limited Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine license and a full, unrestricted controlled substance license in Alabama.
The Alabama Open Records Act does not require public bodies, including the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission, to provide access to public records to anyone who does not live in Alabama or own a business in Alabama.
Saxena is being held in the Ingham County Jail on a $2 million bond while he awaits a preliminary examination of the evidence against him Oct. 29 in 54-B District Court in East Lansing.
Anyone with concerns about their treatment under Saxena's care is urged to call the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety hotline at 844-996-7873 or send an email to tips@police.msu.edu. Support and resources are available through the Center for Survivors by calling 517-372-6666.
Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MSU broke the law with 17-month delay in reporting sex assault probe
