Dr. George Tyndall has been hit with accusations of sexual assault from over 300 women, alleging he sexually abused students at the University of Southern California (USC) while acting as the campus gynecologist.

Dr. Tyndall allegedly worked on the campus full time as a gynecologist, and had almost completely unlimited access to unsuspecting female students. Dr. Tyndall has reportedly been the subject of numerous complaints throughout the years, but was allegedly allowed to continue treating women until 2016.

That year, a nurse reported him to the rape crisis center and described his inappropriate conduct.

Since he was the school’s full-time gynecologist for many years, students say they had no reason to believe they were at risk for any kind of assault. However, an internal investigation reportedly revealed that he inappropriately touched patients during pelvic exams and allegedly made sexually explicit comments about their bodies.

The lawsuits allege that university officials allegedly failed to warn students against this behavior and even allowed Dr. George Tyndall to resign with a financial settlement the year prior.

Overview of Sexual Assault Litigation

The university’s alleged inaction has caused numerous women to file legal action against USC. Over 225 students and alumnae are suing USC for failing to protect them against Dr. George Tyndall, including 51 women who filed a joint claim in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The women who are filing legal action are being represented by a law firm from Houston, which reportedly used Facebook and similar means to reach out to former patients of Dr. Tyndall. These not only consist of graduates throughout the United States, but also graduates from Israel and Britain.

The accusations of sexual assault stem back to the late 1980s and are as recent as two years ago, roughly corresponding to the doctor’s entire work history at the university student health center.

One of the women who filed legal action is a woman who received her Ph.D. from USC in 1995. According to her claim, Dr. George Tyndall had inappropriately touched her and made strange comments about her “intact hymen” during an appointment.

The woman says in her lawsuit that these comments were in no way material to the medical examination. She also states that USC’s response is part of a larger problematic culture in covering up sexual assaults, which she says spurred her to join the litigation.

In addition to the sexual assault lawsuits, over 400 people have contacted a hotline designated for former patients of Dr. George Tyndall. At this point in time, University officials have apologized to current students and alumni. Additionally, former President C.L. Max Nikias stepped down in May 2018.

The chair of USC’s board of trustees stated that he wanted these lawsuits resolved “as quickly as possible.” The potentially next USC chair Rick Caruso stated that he hoped a settlement would be reached before going to trial, so that former patients would not be forced to publicly recount their sexual abuse encounters with Dr. George Tyndall.

Experts predict that any potential settlement will be significant, based on similar sexual assault settlements reached in different areas of the country. One of these settlements involved Michigan State University, which agreed to pay a $500 million settlement with 322 women for allegedly failing to protect gymnasts and other patients from Dr. Larry Nassar.

UPDATE: July 2019, the USC, George Tyndall sexual misconduct class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.