A number of female students have filed a USC lawsuit against the world’s leading private research university over allegations that the university’s gynecologist who worked for the student-health center violated and took advantage of students who sought his examination.

The USC lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, was filed in June 2018 and demands jury trial.

According to the USC lawsuit, gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall faces allegations for unwanted sexual touching and contact, molestation and sexual abuse.

The plaintiffs say Dr. Tyndall violated a trust between the female students and himself. He allegedly “used his position of trust to place women in a place of complete vulnerability: naked or partially unclothed in a closed examination room with the expectation that physical contact would occur for medical treatment in accordance with the standard of care.”

In knowingly placing these women in a treatment room with the potential for violations to occur, USC violated its female students’ trust, the USC lawsuit contends.

According to the complaint, Dr. Tyndall began working for USC as the gynecologist of the student-health center in or about 1989. Each day he examined around 16 women. For nearly 30 years he conducted medical examinations and was the sole gynecologist for the health clinic.

Medical assistants, known as chaperones, have also been present with Dr. Tyndall during these examinations. The plaintiffs say the chaperones were frequently taken aback by the frequency of Dr. Tyndall’s camera usage during pelvic examinations. Witnesses have said nearly 50 to 100 patients have been photographed during these exams.

The complaint says that in the early 2000s, several students submitted letters complaining of unprofessional and inappropriate remarks and touching made by Dr. Tyndall. The letters were reportedly read at monthly committee meetings, but little was done.

According to the lawsuit, “fully body scans” were frequently being done. He also had “women lie naked on the exam table while he slowly inspected every part of their body, down to the area between their buttocks,” the USC lawsuit reports.

During such examinations, comments such as skin being “creamy,” “flawless,” or “beautiful,” would be frequently made. At some point, he would also tell women that they had “perky breasts.”

Chaperones, in 2013, reported their concerns to their supervisor who attempted to go to the clinic’s executive director. However, although the complaint eventually made it to the university’s Office of Equity and Diversity, which handles cases of sexual misconduct, chaperones of the clinic were never probed with questions by the investigator.

According to the USC lawsuit, no violation of sexual misconduct was found by the university.

Multiple sexual assault lawsuits are currently being filed against USC accusing Dr. Tyndall of sexual assault. Almost 300 former patients have raised complaints against him over these allegations. In many cases, the students seen by Dr. Tyndall were 18 years of age with no prior experience for gynecological examinations.

All victims are currently being asked to come forward in order for Dr. Tyndall to be criminally prosecuted. If you are a victim of sexual assault committed by Dr. Tyndall, you may benefit from joining an ongoing USC lawsuit investigation.

The USC Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-04940 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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