Sharpe pled not guilty to the charges Wednesday.

Part-Time Teacher

From 1993 until this June, Sharpe served as a clinical instructor in dermatology at Beth Israel Hospital. Clinical instructors are primarily involved in private practice but typically donate about one half-day per week to clinical teaching, Sharpe's colleagues say.

This March, while conducting a scheduled review of their faculty affiliates, the dermatology department decided that Sharpe had not been spending enough time at HMS.

"In the spring we had reviewed a complete list of part-time faculty," said Dr. Joseph C. Kvedar, an assistant professor in the department. "There were 30 people who weren't really actively involved. We sent them all a letter telling them that if they felt differently that they should contact us to provide us with evidence of their value [or else they would be dismissed]."

Sharpe never wrote back and his appointment was terminated in June.

Several media outlets, including The Boston Globe and the Associated Press, incorrectly reported this week that Sharpe is still with HMS, a point which university officials denied.

"He is not a faculty member at the Harvard Medical School," said HMS spokesperson John Lacey.