Students and alumni at University of Southern California (USC) have recently come forth with alarming accusations against former gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall, which include sexual abuse and molestation, sexual harassment, making sexually charged comments, inappropriate sexual conduct, and making inappropriate racial remarks.
As the resident gynecologist at USC’s student clinic for nearly 30 years, Dr. Tyndall had an opportunity to examine—and sexually abuse—tens of thousands of young women. The allegations against former USC gynecologist George Tyndall continue to pour in.
What Are the Allegations Against Dr. Tyndall?
Below are just a few of the allegations students have made against Dr. Tyndall, according to news resources like the Huffington Post, CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR.
Photographing Patients
Dr. Tyndall allegedly brought a camera into the exam room and took close-up photos of women’s genitalia. Clinic staff found a box in Dr. Tyndall’s office containing images and slides of patients’ genitals, many of which had labels with identifying patient information.
Sexual Comments
His victims also accuse him of making sexual comments about their bodies. Some of the allegations say he described patients’ skin as “flawless,” “beautiful,” or “creamy.” He is also accused of:
- Commenting on patients’ breasts;
- Commenting on patients’ vaginas; and
- Explicitly referencing sexual intercourse while his fingers were inside patients.
One student reported that Dr. Tyndall asked her about her sexual encounters in a lewd manner. She recalled: “He asked how many times [she and her boyfriend tried having sex during her first sexual encounter] and if it hurt because I was tight.”
Dr. Tyndall also allegedly made inappropriate sexual suggestions. One student said: “He offered me a little baggie of blood I could pop on my wedding night so my husband would think I was a virgin.”
Assaulting Patients Under the Guise of Medical Treatment
The allegations also state that Dr. Tyndall routinely used non-standard practices and conducted inappropriate pelvic exams. Victims accuse him of:
- Groping breasts;
- Inserting his fingers into patients’ vaginas and rectums without a medical reason;
- Using his fingers at the start of the exam, which is against medical standards;
- Moving his fingers in and out of patients while he spoke;
- Performing inappropriate examinations or massages during pelvic exams;
- Giving patients pelvic exams without gloves; and
- Putting his entire ungloved hand inside one patient’s vagina.
Unnecessary Disrobing
Dr. Tyndall often used non-standard disrobing practices. These included:
- Not giving women a cover-up while they disrobed;
- Having women completely disrobe and lay naked while he supposedly checked for cancer and suspicious moles;
- Watching his patients undress; and
- Making women disrobe to receive test results.
Improper Protocol and Odd Behavior
His practices were often outside the scope of routine medical protocols. The allegations state Dr. Tyndall:
- Prescribed short-term birth control prescriptions that forced women to schedule frequent visits to get refills; and
- Asked a patient if he could keep an intrauterine birth-control device (IUD) he removed from her.
Racially Inappropriate Remarks
Dr. Tyndall is also accused of racial harassment. He allegedly made inappropriate racial comments toward Chinese international students and appeared fixated on the heritage and virginity of students of Asian and Middle East descent. One patient of international descent recalled: “He started asking me what race I was, relating to me how I looked like his [Filipina] wife.”
Why Did the Allegations Against Dr. Tyndall Take so Long to Come to Light?
The majority of the patients under Dr. Tyndall’s care were young and inexperienced, some as young as 18 years old. Many had never had gynecological exams before seeing Dr. Tyndall, so they did not know how an appropriate gynecological exam should work. Because there were often nurses or chaperones in the room witnessing the exam who did not express alarm, the students mistook the misconduct for normal.
Still, numerous students listened to their instincts and knew something was not right. Some students felt victimized while under examination, described Dr. Tyndall as “creepy,” or left the office in tears. Many voiced their concerns to nurses, the administration, and their chaperones.
Student complaints were relayed from department to department, and yet USC took no disciplinary action for years, allowing Dr. Tyndall to remain in position with access and authority over thousands of young women. There is emerging evidence that USC might have covered up Dr. Tyndall’s abuse.
What Should I Do If I Was One of Dr. Tyndall’s Patients?
The extent of Dr. Tyndall’s abuse and how many women were affected is still unclear. As the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Education continue investigating this case, the authorities urge women potentially affected by Dr. Tyndall to come forward with their stories so the agencies can determine whether any criminal activity took place.
If you think you might have been a victim of Dr. Tyndall’s sexual misconduct, contact 877-385-9792. A lawyer can help you sue Dr. Tyndall and USC.