George Tyndall, a former longtime USC campus gynecologist, was found dead in his Los Angeles home, according to his attorney Leonard Levine. Tyndall was awaiting trial on sex-related charges involving 16 patients who accused him of inappropriate behavior during medical exams.
Tyndall’s close friend discovered him unresponsive in his condo after being unable to reach him. The former gynecologist was facing 18 felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, along with nine counts of sexual battery by fraud. The alleged crimes took place between 2009 and 2016 when Tyndall was working at USC’s student health center.
Previously, eight charges were dismissed due to the victims’ decisions not to proceed or because they couldn’t be contacted. Tyndall consistently claimed his innocence, stating that his examinations were legitimate medical procedures.
During the court hearing in August, Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller argued that Tyndall’s position at a prestigious university led his young patients to trust him and believe his actions were appropriate. Mueller stated that the victims were unable to resist because they were unaware of the nature of Tyndall’s behavior.
On the other hand, Levine contended that many patients were uncomfortable with Tyndall’s communication style. He believed that their perception changed after an article in the Los Angeles Times exposed Tyndall’s alleged wrongdoing, causing them to view the exams as sexual rather than medical.
In March 2021, attorneys representing numerous women who claimed to have been sexually abused by Tyndall reached an $852 million settlement with USC. This settlement is considered the largest ever against a university for this type of case. Additionally, in January 2020, a $215 million class-action settlement was approved, providing compensation to approximately 17,000 former patients who received women’s health services from Tyndall.
Some victims’ attorneys argue that USC paid Tyndall a significant settlement in 2016 to quietly resign after an internal investigation into the complaints. USC officials have denied claims of a cover-up and implemented new protocols at the student health center to address complaints appropriately. They also hired female, board-certified physicians and introduced patient education materials on sensitive examinations.
USC President Carol Folt expressed her apologies to the victims following the March 2021 settlement, acknowledging their pain and appreciating their courage in coming forward. Tyndall surrendered his medical license in September 2019.
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