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93 More Women Have Accused Former USC Gynecologist George Tyndall of Sexual Abuse


The University of Southern California continues to reckon with sexual assault allegations leveled against its former campus gynecologist George Tyndall. On Thursday, two new lawsuits were filed on behalf of 93 additional women who claim the university purposefully concealed the abuse—which brings the total number of Tyndall’s accusers to about 500.

The new claims come after 51 women came forward back in July. They joined six women who had alleged in a lawsuit filed in May that USC had failed to protect them from Tyndall’s abuse and mishandled complaints about his behavior, as well as dozens of others, bringing the total number of accusers at that point to more than 200. Following backlash, USC’s former president C.L. Max Nikias announced he would step down.

Tyndall is now retired after working at the university for almost three decades. According to CNN, accusations of misconduct against him date back to 1990 and include allegations from women who say he abused or harassed them under the guide of medical treatment at the university’s student health center. The AP reported that Tyndall’s license was suspended in August.

A group of approximately 20 women announced the two new lawsuits at a press conference on Thursday, and some of them spoke publicly about their experiences.

“I am part of an accidental sisterhood of hundreds of women because the university we love betrayed our trust,” Dana Loewy, a woman who alleges that Tyndall assaulted her in 1983, was quoted as saying in Time.

Following the press conference, USC announced their agreement to a tentative settlement of $215 million on Friday, which, according to NPR, could make anyone who received treatment from Tyndall eligible to receive a minimum of $2,500 (victims who allege Tyndall abuse them could receive up to $250,000, the Los Angeles Times reports.) USC’s interim president, Wanda Austin, said in a public statement that its Board of Trustees supported the settlement.

“By doing so, we hope that we can help our community move collectively toward reconciliation,” Austin said. “I regret that any student ever felt uncomfortable, unsafe, or mistreated in any way as a result of the actions of a university employee.”

The settlement requires court approval, and lawyers for accusers have said that the sum is not enough.

“The only guaranteed number in this case is $2,500—$2,500 won’t even get you a 50-yard-line seat at a USC football game, let alone compensate somebody for being sexually assaulted by their doctor when they were 18 or 17,” said John Manly, an Irvine-based attorney who represents 180 accusers.

Related Stories:

Six Women Are Suing USC for Allegedly Failing to Protect Them From Campus Gynecologist’s Sexual Abuse

There Are Now More Than 200 Women Suing USC and a Former Gynecologist Accused of Sexual Abuse



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There Are Now More Than 200 Women Suing USC and a Former Gynecologist Accused of Sexual Abuse


The number of lawsuits against the University of Southern California and one of its now-retired doctors continues to increase as 51 women—who accuse the student health center’s former full-time gynecologist, George Tyndall, of touching them inappropriately—filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday over the school’s handling of the alleged abuse.

This brings the total number of women suing USC and Tyndall to more than 200, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Back in May, the Times reported that six women claimed Tyndall—who retired after working at USC for nearly 30 years—had “sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care” and that the school had failed to protect them, despite being informed of Tyndall’s misconduct. In the new lawsuits, filed by both current and former students, the victims said the university mishandled complaints made as early as 1990 and allege that after an internal investigation into the claims against Tyndall in 2016, USC still paid him upon his resignation.

Tyndall retired in 2017 and has denied all allegations against him, which include making lewd comments and inappropriately touching patients during pelvic exams. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced it had opened an investigation into how USC responded to the complaints against Tyndall, which had been made by hundreds of women.

“The University is conducting a thorough investigation into this matter,” USC said in a statement Monday. “We will be seeking a prompt and fair resolution that is respectful of our former students. We are committed to providing the women of USC with the best, most thorough and respectful health care services of any university.”

The Los Angeles Times also reported that Tyndall’s coworkers claimed he was improperly photographing students genitals. Complaints of Tyndall allegedly inserting his fingers into patients vaginas improperly also surfaced, and many who worked with Tyndall told the newspaper that they feared he had been targeting Chinese students and students from other Asian countries who may have been unfamiliar with American medical practices

Since the allegations first came to light, 200 USC professors penned an open letter, asking university president C.L. Max Nikias to resign over the “mounting evidence” of his “failure to protect our students, our staff, and our colleagues from repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct.” USC’s board of trustees announced on May 25 that Nikias would step down.

The allegations against Tyndall follow the high-profile case of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who used his role as a medical professional to sexually abuse hundreds of women and Olympic athletes.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced Nassar to up to 175 years in prison in Michigan.



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Six Women File Lawsuits Against USC Claiming the Campus Gynecologist Sexually Abused Them


Six women filed lawsuits against the University of Southern California on Monday, alleging that Dr. George Tyndall—who worked as the campus health clinic’s full-time gynecologist for almost 30 years—”sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care” with USC’s knowledge, the LA Times reports.

The Times first broke the story last week after a lengthy investigation revealed alleged abuse dating back to the 1990s, when co-workers said he was improperly photographing students’ genitals. There were also complaints alleging the doctor was inserting his fingers into patients’ vaginas improperly and not in the manner typical to a gynecological exam.

More recently, according to the paper, Tyndall’s colleagues feared he was targeting Chinese students less familiar with American medical practices. Tyndall was suspended in 2016, and was allowed to resign with a financial payout last summer, even though an internal USC investigation showed that his “behavior during pelvic exams was outside the scope of current medical practice and amounted to sexual harassment of students.” Patients were not informed and he was not reported to the Medical Board of California.

Tyndall has denied any wrongdoing, telling The Times in interviews that his exams were appropriate. “I’m there to protect the health of Trojan women,” he reportedly said. In January, Tyndall renewed his California medical license.

The university told the Times that “in hindsight,” USC should have reported him. The university did finally file a complaint with the medical board on March 9 after a request by Tyndall to be reinstated.

John Manly, an Orange County lawyer who is representing four of the former patients told the Times, “It doesn’t matter how many people get hurt. It is all about protecting USC’s reputation.” Manly also worked on the case that ended with a $500 million settlement from Michigan State University for former patients of Larry Nassar.

Lucy Chi filed a federal class action suit alleging she was violated in 2012 when Tyndall inserted his fingers into her vagina. Another woman says he also inserted his fingers at the beginning of a pelvic exam and remarked on the tightness of her vaginal muscles. Chi says she realized the behavior was improper after reading the Times’ investigation.

USC Provost Michael Quick issued a letter Monday that apologized to patients, but maintained that the university did not ignore complaints.

“It is true that our system failed, but it is important that you know that this claim of a cover-up is patently false,” Quick wrote. “We would never knowingly put students in harm’s way.”

He says the school’s senior leadership did not learn of complaints against Tyndall until 2017.



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