A former vice dean of University of Southern California's medical school testified he feared the then-dean, Dr. Carmen Puliafito, "could be doing drugs" before Puliafito abruptly quit in 2016.

The Los Angeles Times reports Wednesday that Dr. Henri Ford's testimony at a Medical Board hearing marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafito's possible drug use.

Ford said he expressed concerns about Puliafito's general well-being to the university's provost.

Three weeks before he quit, 21-year-old Sarah Warren overdosed on methamphetamine in Puliafito's presence in a hotel room.

During his testimony Tuesday, Puliafito placed much of the blame for his meth use on Warren. He claimed Warren upended his life by introducing him to the drug. He testified that he used meth with her once a week.

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Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/