Lawyers have called on California’s Attorney General to investigate USC’s handling of sexual assault claims against a former campus gynecologist, George Tyndall.
Attorney John Manly says that 100 new cases were filed yesterday totaling almost 500.
"How many women does it take before law enforcement takes action and begins to look at the institution."
Manly added that "he wasn't allowed to abuse this many women over this amount of time without somebody knowing and either ignoring it or worse - providing him cover... I think the evidence shows today and I think it will show that USC had knowledge for years that he was sexually assaulting women and engaging in inappropriate conduct and they concealed it...There's evidence in the complaints and evidence through our own investigation that USC first learned about Dr. Tyndall acting inappropriately and indeed criminally with victims in the 80's."
Tyndall’s lawyer says his client has done nothing wrong.
USC officials issued a statement in response to the latest legal actions, saying, ``We are aware of the lawsuits. We will be seeking a prompt and fair resolution that is respectful of our former students. We are committed to providing the women of USC with the best, most thorough and respectful health care services of any university.''
Tyndall and USC have been sued by hundreds of alleged victims, many of whom claim they were inappropriately fondled or photographed by Tyndall under the guise of gynecological exams. Many have also accused him of making sexually charged comments during the exams. 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 Tyndall's actions.
Attorneys for some victims have argued that following an internal investigation of complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid Tyndall a substantial financial settlement so he would quietly resign.USC officials have denied any coverup, and Tyndall has denied any wrongdoing.
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.