George Tyndall, a former USC gynecologist accused of sexual abuse, was found dead
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Dr. George Tyndall, the former USC campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing hundreds of women, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Wednesday, his lawyer told ABC News. He was 76.
According to attorney Leonard Levine, Tyndall was found dead in bed by a close family friend who went to his home after being unable to reach him. The friend believed Tyndall had been dead for a while, Levine said Thursday.
An autopsy is expected to be performed, but Levine and the friend believe Tyndall died of natural causes.
In March 2021, USC agreed to an $852 million settlement with more than 700 women who accused Tyndall of sexual misconduct.
Editor’s note: This story includes a discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call National Sexual Assault Hotline at (800) 656-4673.
Along with an earlier settlement in a separate class-action lawsuit, USC agreed to pay out more than $1 billion in claims against the longtime campus doctor, who worked at the school for nearly three decades.
At the time of his death, Tyndall was charged with 35 counts of alleged sexual misconduct between 2009 and 2016 at the university’s student health center. He had pleaded not guilty and was free on bail.
Hundreds of women came forward to police to report their allegations. However, in some cases the statute of limitations did not expire after ten years, while in other cases criminal charges were not possible or there was a lack of sufficient evidence to prosecute. However, if convicted, he faced up to 64 years in prison.
Tyndall was deposed over the settlement and largely invoked his rights against self-incrimination in his answers, the plaintiff’s lawyers said in 2021. Although he signed the settlement, he donated no money to it and admitted no wrongdoing.
“Dr. Tyndall continues to deny any wrongdoing,” Leonard Levine, Tyndall’s attorney, said at the time. “He has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and remains confident that he will be fully exonerated if the allegations are tested in court at a jury trial.”
Separately, USC previously agreed to pay $215 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving about 18,000 women who were patients of Tyndall. The individual payouts to these victims ranged from $2,500 to $250,000 and were made regardless of whether the women formally accused Tyndall of harassment or assault.
Allegations against Tyndall first emerged in 2018 as part of an investigation by the Los Angeles Timeswhich revealed that the doctor had been the subject of sexual misconduct complaints at USC since the 1990s.
He was only suspended in 2016 when a nurse reported him to a rape crisis center. He was able to quietly resign the next year with a large payout.
Tyndall surrendered his medical license in September 2019, records show.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
