Legal help is available for current and former USC students who were assaulted by campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall.

Tyndall, a former campus clinician for the University of Southern California, is currently facing numerous sexual assault lawsuits lodged by students who say the doctor exploited his position as their gynecologist to sexually assault them.

The University of Southern California and George Tyndall are the defendants in these lawsuits brought forward by women who say that they were subjected to harassment and sexual assault during medical exams.

Many of the victims who have lodged complaints or lawsuits against Dr. George Tyndall and USC claim that there were numerous complaints made by patients as well as medical staff at the facility, and that the university should have resolved the problem sooner.

Patients attending appointments with a gynecologist put their trust in clinicians to limit their exam to standard medical practices. Patients trust their physician to treat them professionally and with respect, and might be shocked when they are instead subjected to sexual assault.

Currently, more than 300 USC students have filed their own sexual assault lawsuits against Dr. George Tyndall and USC, arguing that the doctor used his position of power to assault female students on a regular basis.

Dr. George Tyndall is accused of making inappropriate comments to students as well as touching female students inappropriately during what were supposed to be routine gynecological exams. The victims who have filed lawsuits against Dr. George Tyndall say that they were touched in the ways that were not medically necessary and were subjected to hearing sexual comments about their genitals and appearances during these exams.

Some of the victims participating in lawsuits against Dr. George Tyndall and USC were as young as 18 years old and had never experienced a gynecological exam before. They allege that because of their inexperience, they were unaware at the time that the doctor’s behavior was inappropriate, despite the fact it made them extremely uncomfortable.

Numerous medical staff members at the facility and the patients filed complaints against Dr. George Tyndall with the university. Yet many plaintiffs say that the university made an effort to cover up the volume of complaints. At least 8 different reports were filed between 2000 and 2014 regarding problems with Dr. George Tyndall’s behavior.

In 2016, the doctor was placed on leave following an investigation that revealed that he repeatedly made sexually inappropriate and racially discriminatory remarks. The settlement achieved between USC and Dr. George Tyndall occurred in 2017, after which time he left the university.

USC continues to argue to this day that did not attempt to cover-up any of the incidents and are not guilty of criminal wrongdoing. However, women who have chosen to file lawsuits against the individual doctor as well as the university claim that the USC did not go far enough in investigating these complaints when they were made months or years prior to the university’s investigation and should have done more to minimize the chances of regular and ongoing sexual assault.

Earlier this month, the university agreed to a $215 million class action settlement to resolve claims related to George Tyndall’s misconduct. But at least one plaintiffs’ attorney believes payments to victims under this settlement are too small, according to CNN.

The settlement does not affect other individual lawsuits that have already been filed–these will continue to play out in court, while other women continue to come forward with individual sexual assault lawsuits of their own.

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