The largest settlement ever reached over sexual abuse claims has received final approval from a judge, ending claims that a University of Southern California gynecologist sexually abused patients, and was wrongly allowed to remain in his position by the university.

The Tyndall sexual abuse settlement reached was for $215 million, and covers a class of around 18,000 alleged victims who suffered abuse at the hands of university gynecologist George Tyndall. Per the terms of the settlement, victims are not required to have accused Tyndall of abuse to receive benefits.

Class Members are eligible for payouts that range in amounts from $2,500 to $250,000, depending on the nature of the abuse. Per the terms of the settlement, three tiers of payouts will be offered, based on what kind of abuse was allegedly suffered. Victims of Tyndall will be assigned to tiers of compensation based on the opinion of a psychiatrist, a gynecologist, and a special master. 

Objectors did argue that the settlement was too low and argued that the university was not sufficiently held accountable by the settlement. U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson approved the settlement despite these objections.

Around 800 possible Class Members opted out of the Tyndall sexual abuse settlement, and around 600 have filed independent lawsuits over Tyndall’s alleged abuse.

The USC settlement went through some revision, and an amendment required USC to institute new policies that would help better protect patients from abuse in the future. These measures include background checks for health care workers and allowing patients to choose what gender of health care provider works with them.

Women who were treated by Tyndall at the University of Southern California claimed that the doctor sexually abused patients repeatedly during his long employment at the university. Allegedly, the doctor worked at the university between 1989 and 2017. 

According to the women, the doctor would ask inappropriate and sexual questions of patients, and would comment on their bodies when these practices were not medically necessary. Additionally, the women claimed that the doctor would perform pelvic exams without using gloves, and would conduct unnecessary breast exams, doing so in a sexual manner.

Though the university has reportedly condemned Tyndall’s actions, the New York Times explains that women are accusing the university of being aware of Tyndall’s conduct but taking enough action to protect students. Allegedly, the school did not immediately report allegations against Tyndall to the medical board, and did not make allegations public. The New York Times says that patients claim that the university did not make the claims public until the Los Angeles Times began to investigate the issue.

Tyndall is facing 29 felony charges, but continues to plead not guilty. USA Today explains that if he is found guilty, Tyndall could be facing around 53 years in prison, and he may face further charges.

The USC George Tyndall Sexual Assault Class Action Lawsuit is In re: USC Student Health Center Litigation, Case No. 2:18-cv-04258, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. 

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.