USC gynecologist preyed on Asian students, says confidential report

LOS ANGELES — Former USC gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall showed signs of psychopathy and preyed on Asian students, according to a confidential report from a team of medical experts hired by the school to evaluate him.

Despite the findings, the university did not fire Tyndall or report the findings to the Medical Board of California, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

Lawyers for the school instead chose to arrange an undisclosed deal that allowed Tyndall to resign with a sizeable financial payout and clean professional record, The Times reported.

The report’s findings were among several university records made public following a court order requested by The Times for access to the documents, which are evidence in a federal class-action lawsuit filed earlier this year against Tyndall and USC by former patients.

“We believed that former patients, as well as our USC community, will benefit from the disclosure of this information,” USC interim President Wanda Austin said in a statement. “Our hope is that the documents will assist former patients in assessing their legal options, including those who are evaluating whether to remain in the proposed federal class action settlement.”

Alleged victims have contended that the university received numerous complaints of Tyndall’s alleged sexually abusive behavior, dating back to at least 1988, and actively and deliberately concealed his actions.

Attorneys for some victims have argued that following an internal investigation of complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid him a substantial financial settlement so he would quietly resign.

USC officials have denied any coverup, and Tyndall has denied any wrongdoing.

A patient complaint from 1997 called Tyndall “the worst doctor I’ve ever seen in my life” and warned the school it should fire Tyndall or risk a “huge future lawsuit,” the records showed.

An investigator assigned in 2013 to look into complaints against Tyndall from staff and students did not interview the doctor, but concluded that the seven clinic workers and a student who were questioned had “mixed opinions of Dr. Tyndall but none yielded actionable evidence of any policy violations.”

Investigator Karen Nutter stated in a three-page memo that there “was insufficient evidence of an university policy violation to justify continuing an investigation.”

Tyndall was put on immediate leave in 2016 after a nursing supervisor grew frustrated with a lack of action by the school regarding the complaints against the doctor and talked with a rape crisis counselor. The school hired an outside medical consulting firm, MDReview, which inspected medical records and talked with clinic staff, administrators and Tyndall, The Times reported.

In a 17-page report, MDReview concluded Tyndall’s pelvic exams were inappropriate and he showed a preference for Asian students and had potential mental health problems, including “underlying psychopathy.”

Despite the reports findings, MDReview said the school could bring Tyndall back to the clinic by, among other things, limiting his risk to students by having a board-certified gynecologist monitor him and have him complete a medical and psychological evaluation.

In February, the school announced it would institute campus-wide reforms to prevent and report sexual and racial misconduct under terms of a settlement agreement resolving claims related to Tyndall.

The agreement will also require USC to “recognize all of Tyndall’s patients through a $215 million fund that gives every survivor a choice in how to participate,” according to a university statement.

Austin said in her statement that the records released “should help confirm that the proposed settlement remains the best option for bringing a fair and respectful resolution to this matter for as many of Dr. Tyndall’s former patients as possible. Making changes to strengthen our university, rebuilding trust, and healing our community remain our top priorities.”