More women sue USC, Tyndall alleging sexual assault

(FOX 11/CNS) - Attorneys representing another 51 women filed lawsuits against USC today in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging gross sexual misconduct and sexual assault on the campus by Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the university's student health center for nearly 30 years.

The latest filings bring the number of women who have sued the university over Tyndall's alleged activities to well over 100.

The women allege the university received numerous complaints of Tyndall's alleged sexually abusive behavior as far back as at least 1988, and actively and deliberately concealed Tyndall's actions. The plaintiffs further allege that following an internal investigation of complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid Tyndall a substantial financial settlement so he would quietly resign, and USC could continue to actively conceal the myriad of complaints they had received of Tyndall's sexually abusive behavior.

In an open letter to faculty and staff in May, USC Provost Michael Quick said top administrators did not know about the complaints until 2016.

"It is true that our system failed, but it is important that you know that this claim of a cover-up is patently false," Quick wrote. "We would never knowingly put students in harm's way."

USC established a hotline for complaints about Tyndall and has offered free counseling to his former patients.

In one of the lawsuits, a woman says she sought care from Tyndall in 1993 and that she was sexually abused and "violated" by Tyndall.

"Once in his office, Tyndall began questioning (the plaintiff) about matters which were not relevant to the care she sought," the suit states.

"Tyndall repeatedly questioned her about the details of her sex life."

The woman grew up in California and wanted to attend USC from an early age, becoming the "embodiment of USC's mission statement, which aims to cultivate and enrich human beings and society," the suit states.

The plaintiff lived up to those ideals, but USC's "active concealment provided cover for Tyndall and allowed him many years of unfettered sexual access to young female students, including plaintiff," the suit states.

In another lawsuit, in which 45 women are plaintiffs, one woman says she was molested during an examination in which Tyndall did not wear gloves.

"Jane Doe 1 laid on the exam room table, completely naked, while Tyndall poked, prodded and groped her body, including her breasts, all while making inappropriate and sexually charged comments," the suit states.

Tyndall told the woman that she had a nice tan and that she was attractive, the suit states.

"All of this took place under the supposed care and protection of USC's chaperones," the suit states. "These chaperones stood by silently while Tyndall sexually assaulted, harassed molested and violated Jane Doe."