LAPD serves warrants at ex-USC gynecologist's home

(FOX 11/CNS) - Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department served search warrants this morning at the home of former USC campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall, who is facing allegations of mistreatment of patients during pelvic examinations dating as far back as 1990.

"These warrants were investigative in nature," department spokesman Officer Mike Lopez said. "The doctor has not been arrested."

Lopez said detectives are in the process of interviewing more than 100 people who have contacted the LAPD about Tyndall and that nothing has been turned over at this point to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

The serving of the sealed warrants was first reported by the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper also reported that evidence was seized from Tyndall's residence and a storage facility.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has announced an investigation into USC's handling of reports of sexual harassment by Tyndall.

The Title IX investigation will assess USC's response to reports and complaints of sexual harassment during pelvic exams as early as 1990 that were not fully investigated by the university until spring 2016, and that the school did not disclose to the OCR during an earlier investigation, officials said.

According to USC, Tyndall resigned in June 2017 based on a finding by the university that his behavior during exams was outside the scope of current medical standards and that he violated the university's policy on harassment by making repeated sexually inappropriate remarks during patient encounters.

The Office for Civil Rights currently has an unrelated monitoring agreement with USC as a result of OCR's investigations into the university's handling of allegations of sexual harassment and sexual violence that spanned from August 2010 through May 2015.

The resolution agreement with USC in those cases was entered into in January, the office said.

OCR's requests for documents and information from USC during the investigation of these matters covered all reports and complaints against staff and faculty during the 2010-2013 academic years. However, at no time during the investigation or negotiations did USC provide OCR with any information
regarding reports or complaints allegedly received against Tyndall, OCR said.

After the allegations against Tyndall surfaced, about a dozen lawsuits were filed against the university and gynecologist, and attorney Gloria Allred recently announced that she would be amending one woman's lawsuit to add 23 additional plaintiffs.

In a recent suit, one former student alleges that Tyndall penetrated her with his ungloved fingers, took pictures of her genitalia, and made inappropriate sexual comments, asking what she enjoyed during sex. Other suits contain similar claims.

Tyndall was paid a substantial financial settlement so that he would resign following an internal investigation of complaints against him in 2016, according to plaintiffs.

The controversy led to the May 25 resignation of USC President Max Nikias.

A report by the USC Office of Equity and Diversity determined that the doctor "had violated the university policy on harassment by making repeated racially discriminatory and sexually inappropriate remarks during patient encounters."

The report concluded that some of Tyndall's practices were outdated, but not criminal in nature.

More than 400 students have contacted a university hotline about the physician, who spent nearly 30 years at USC.