George Tyndall victim blames Jackie Lacey for failing to charge USC administrators in alleged cover up
Victim of USC gynecologist calls on new LA County DA to charge school administrators
Lucy Chi, one of hundreds of women included in the settlement against former USC gynecologist George Tyndall is calling on Los Angeles County's new district attorney to charge administrators she accuses of covering up his abuse.
LOS ANGELES - One of the hundreds of women included in the settlement against former USC gynecologist George Tyndall on Thursday blamed Los Angeles County's former District Attorney Jackie Lacey for failing to charge any school administrators she accuses of covering up his abuse and called on the county's new DA, George Gascón to file charges against them.
"Today’s settlement, while important, actually brings me quite a bit of sadness. It’s been nearly three years since the LA Times published their report about what George Tyndall did to us for nearly 30 years and how USC covered it up. Even while staff at the student clinic exposed him," said victim Lucy Chi. "USC allowed thousands of women to be abused by the gynecologist and when they found out, they covered it up, they aided and abetted all of those sexual assaults and no one in the administration, in leadership at USC has been held accountable."
"I am deeply concerned about the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the way this case has been handled, and not handled. Because while in Michigan, with Doctor Larry Nassar, at least six high-ranking officials have been indicted criminally for charges. No one, other than Dr. Tyndall, has been indicted for anything, and there’s plenty of criminal blame to go around here," added victim Audrey Nafziger.
Attorneys representing 710 women who claim they were sexually abused by Tyndall announced an $852 million settlement in lawsuits against the university Thursday.
RELATED: George Tyndall: $852M settlement reached in lawsuits over sexual abuse by ex-USC gynecologist
George Tyndall served as the only gynecologist at the USC Student Health Center for nearly 30 years.
The lawsuits against him and USC alleged that the University received numerous complaints of Tyndall’s sexually abusive behavior, dating back to at least the year 2000, actively and deliberately concealed Tyndall’s sexual abuse and continued to allow Tyndall to have unfettered sexual access to the young female USC students in his care; all done to protect USC’s reputation and its financial coffers.
Tyndall is currently the only defendant charged in the sexual abuse cases.
"Part of the reason this happened is because of former DA Jackie Lacey’s cozy relationship with USC. She graduated from USC law school and met with them multiple times when these allegations came out. She declined to charge them, over and over, while we asked her to," Chi said. "Now that we have a new DA in office, it’s my hope that DA George Gascón will take us seriously, if not for justice for the victims, at least to show future predators and those who enable them, that there is a price to pay when you avert your eyes and you ignore what’s happening."
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USC officials have repeatedly denied allegations of a cover-up relating to Tyndall and have said new protocols were implemented at its Student Health Center to ensure any complaints are investigated and resolved by appropriate university officials and authorities. Additionally, the university said it has hired female, board-certified physicians and introduced patient education materials about sensitive examinations.
"I want this to be clear: USC and senior administers at USC in the health center and otherwise, knew. The press materials that USC put out in 2018 that this was somehow a mystery to them, were a damn lie. And we proved that," Attorney John Manly said during a press conference announcing the settlement.
Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed eleven counts of sexual assault and battery against Tyndall. If convicted of all charges, Tyndall faces up to 64 years in prison.
Tyndall has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 25 at a Los Angeles courthouse.
Gascón's office told FOX 11 they are not aware of any additional people involved adding that they have not received anything from the Los Angeles Police Department to follow up with for charges.
FOX 11 has put in a request with the LAPD for more information and is waiting to hear back.