Explaining the decision not to perform an autopsy on George Tyndall, a former USC campus gynecologist accused of sexual misconduct, the county Medical Examiner’s office stated that Tyndall had a history of natural disease that accounted for his sudden death.
George Tyndall, 76, was discovered dead in his Los Angeles condo on Wednesday by a friend who had been unable to reach him. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on sex-related charges brought by patients who accused him of inappropriate behavior during medical exams.
Tyndall and his attorneys consistently denied any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, after news of his death, the county Department of Medical Examiner announced that it would not conduct an autopsy, sparking criticism from at least one attorney representing some of Tyndall’s alleged victims who insisted that the women deserved closure in the case.
In a statement given on Friday, the Department of Medical Examiner explained that it responded to Tyndall’s home at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
“During the DME’s investigation, it was determined that there was a history of natural disease that explains Mr. Tyndall’s sudden death. There were no suspicious circumstances indicating foul play, suicide, or toxins contributing to his death. Therefore, no autopsy was performed,” the office stated. “The DME’s role is to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of all sudden, violent, or unusual deaths, as well as deaths where the decedent has not seen a physician within 20 days of their passing.”
Once completed, the Medical Examiner will issue an investigator’s report on the matter.
Tyndall was ordered to stand trial on August 11 on 18 felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person, along with nine felony counts of sexual battery by fraud. The charges allege that the women were unaware of the nature of the act and that it served no legitimate medical purpose. The crimes are said to have taken place between 2009 and 2016.
The affected women sought annual examinations or other treatments at USC’s student health center while Tyndall was employed there.
Earlier, eight charges involving five other women were dropped because four of them chose not to proceed and one could not be reached.
John Manly, an attorney representing several Tyndall victims, issued a statement on Thursday criticizing the decision not to perform an autopsy. He claimed that authorities “failed to properly investigate his death” by quickly declaring it to be natural causes.
Manly stated, “This refusal to properly investigate Tyndall’s cause of death allows him to escape from his decades of horrible abuse and leaves hundreds of women without answers.” He added, “Dr. George Tyndall’s death prior to his trial is a complete failure of the Los Angeles justice system. His criminal case has been pending for nearly five years and he was finally ordered to stand trial less than a month ago. To put it simply, L.A. County D.A. George Gascón failed his victims, which number in the thousands. Not only was Tyndall allowed to avoid justice for five years after his arrest, but USC’s secrets, which he alone held, died with him.”
Tyndall’s attorney, Leonard Levine, told City News Service that his client “eagerly wanted to go to trial where issues of guilt or innocence could be resolved.” Levine revealed that Tyndall had planned to testify and proclaim his innocence.
Levine stated that once a copy of Tyndall’s death certificate becomes available, his defense team will seek the dismissal of the case.
Tyndall was scheduled to appear in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on October 13 for a hearing. The defense was planning to request that Tyndall’s $1.3 million bail be reduced to $250,000 and that he be freed from electronic monitoring, considering the dismissal of eight charges related to five other women.
During an August 11 hearing, Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller informed the judge that Tyndall was employed at a prestigious university and that the patients, often as young as 18, 19, or 20, “trusted this guy” and believed his actions were appropriate.
“That’s how he gets away with this … In their mind, they think what’s being done is correct,” the prosecutor stated, adding that Tyndall’s patients were “unable to resist” as they were unaware of the nature of his actions.
In response, Levine argued that many patients were uncomfortable with Tyndall’s manner of speaking to them. However, he believed their perception of Tyndall changed due to a Los Angeles Times article that exposed the alleged misconduct by the former campus gynecologist, resulting in the acts being seen as “sexual in nature” rather than standard gynecological examinations.
Levine also claimed that the investigation into these alleged crimes was inadequate, asserting that the defense maintained that the examinations were conducted for legitimate medical reasons.
In March 2021, attorneys representing hundreds of women who claimed they were sexually abused by Tyndall announced an $852 million settlement in their lawsuits against the university, stating that it was the largest settlement of its kind ever made against a university.
In January 2020, a federal judge in Los Angeles granted final approval for a $215 million class-action settlement between USC and some of the women who alleged they were sexually abused by Tyndall.
The settlement provides compensation of $2,500 and up to all class members, around 17,000 former patients who received women’s health services from Tyndall. Patients willing to provide further details about their experiences may be eligible for additional compensation up to $250,000.
Attorneys for some victims argued that after an internal investigation into complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid him a significant financial settlement in exchange for his resignation.
USC officials have consistently denied allegations of a cover-up regarding Tyndall and have stated that new protocols were implemented at their student health center to ensure that any complaints are properly investigated and addressed by appropriate university officials and authorities. The university also claimed to have hired female, board-certified physicians and introduced patient education materials regarding sensitive examinations.
Following the March 2021 settlement, USC President Carol Folt issued a statement expressing her deep apologies for the pain endured by the victims. She also commended the courage of all those who came forward and hoped that the resolution would provide some relief to the women who suffered abuse at the hands of George Tyndall.
According to records from the Medical Board of California, Tyndall surrendered his medical license in September 2019.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
