In total, the University of Southern California (USC) has agreed to pay out more than $1 billion for multiple settlement cases against ex-Dr. George Tyndall.
What We Know:
- The previous lawsuit against Tyndall was settled for $215 million. The case applied to about 18,000 women who were patients of Tyndall. Individual payouts to those victims ranged from $2,500 to $250,000 and those final payments are expected to be issued this month. The latest lawsuit settlement, totaling $852 million, was reached on Thursday and applies to 700 more women who also accused George Tyndall of abuse.
- Some of the cases against Tyndall fall outside of California’s 10-year statute of limitations and other incidents lacked sufficient evidence to prosecute him. Still, 74-year-old Tyndall faces 35 criminal counts of alleged sexual misconduct between 2009 to 2016. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on bond. If convicted, Tyndall faces up to 64 years in prison.
- Tyndall wasn’t suspended from work until 2016 when a nurse reported him to a rape crisis center. He quietly resigned with a large payout the next year. USC president Carol L. Folt issued a statement in regards to the latest lawsuit.
“We appreciate the courage of all who came forward and hope this much-needed resolution provides some relief to the women abused by George Tyndall,” Folt exclaimed.
- Folt assumed the role of president during a large overhaul of USC leadership which occurred amid a large college bribery scandal and the then unfolding gynecologist allegations. These allegations against Tyndall first arose in 2018 and investigations revealed he had been the subject of sexual misconduct complaints dating back to the 1990s.
- Records show Tyndall surrendered his medical license in September 2019. The plaintiff’s attorneys are labeling the settlement as the largest sexual abuse case against any university. Lawyers revealed that no confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements were attached. An expert’s report on Tyndall revealed that he was mostly targeting international students from Asian countries. The cases remain a sensitive issue for the USC, which has aggressively courted Chinese students and donors.
It remains unclear why the USC has decidedly taken action against Tyndall now, considering allegations against him have been rampant for decades.
