Did a USC Doctor and Predator Hide in Plain Sight for Nearly 30 Years?

George Tyndall worked at the University of Southern California (USC) as a gynecologist for nearly thirty years before he was allowed to quietly step down from his position after reports came to light that complaints had been filed against him for sexual assault. It isn’t clear when Tyndall began assaulting women under the guise of medical treatment, but complaints were given to USC as early as 1990. However, the university did not act on these reports. Instead, Tyndall was allowed to continue to see patients for nearly 30 years.

The question that many have been asking, as more and more of Tyndall’s victims come forward, is “how could this have happened?” The answer seems to be that the university knew that there was something wrong with Tyndall, but simply never took steps to correct the situation and when it became clear what was happening, they tried to cover it up quietly.

USC has admitted that they received complaints about Tyndall as early as 2000, and victims have alleged in their complaint that they reported assaults as early as the 1990s. Even after Tyndall’s abhorrent actions came to light, USC did not fire Tyndall. Instead they paid him an undisclosed amount of money and allowed him to quietly resign from his post. The university did not even immediately report him to the state medical board, only doing so months later when Tyndall sought reinstatement.

USC had received reports about Tyndall for years before it finally took action against him. Even when the University did take action, it did not fire him or report him to the medical board. The actions USC has taken, both during Tyndall’s tenure at the university and in the aftermath of his assaults, strongly suggest that USC knew that something was wrong with the way Tyndall “treated” patients and wanted the problem to go away quietly.

The allegations against USC share many similarities with those made against Larry Nassar and Michigan State University (MSU).  In both instances, university officials were informed that an on-staff physician was thought to be performing inappropriate – often invasive – procedures on women.  Proper investigations were not performed, and the physicians were allowed to continue assaulting women.  So far, at least 400 Survivors have come forward with allegations against Tyndall and USC.

The sexual abuse attorneys at Grewal Law / Church Wyble, P.C. have been fighting for the rights of victims for decades, and they have made it their mission to stop institutional involvement in sexual assault.  The attorneys at Grewal Law / Church Wyble, P.C. are currently representing over 100 Survivors of Larry Nassar’s abuse and assault, and they understand what it takes to prevail against large universities and corporations, and to fight for meaningful change.  Please contact the firm’s experienced attorneys for information regarding sexual assault support groups, or for a free consultation.  All inquiries are completely confidential.