Thirty More Women Sue USC Over Former Gynecologist

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday accuses former University of Southern California campus gynecologist George Tyndall of sexually assaulting 30 women, bringing the growing number of civil cases filed by former patients to more than 300.

The new complaint, obtained first by the NBC4 I-Team, alleges the women, listed as "Jane Does" in court papers, were sexually abused by Tyndall under the guise of legitimate medical exams at the campus Student Health Center, sometimes while being observed by a USC-employed nurse.

"I think that the sheer volume speaks to how many women were failed by USC and its administration," attorney John Manly told NBC4.

He filed this most recent case and said his firm represents more than 100 plaintiffs.

USC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Board of Trustees chairman Rick Caruso said in a letter to the campus in May that "profound" actions were needed in light of the allegations.

"Our thoughts are with the families that have been affected by this situation, and our pledge to this community is that we will rebuild our culture to reflect an environment in which safety and transparency are of paramount importance, and to institute systemic change that will prevent this from occurring in the future," the letter said.

On Aug. 6, attorney Gloria Allred announced she'd filed a similar lawsuit on behalf of 12 women who said they were abused by Tyndall during exams. Numerous alleged victims claim the university received complaints of Tyndall's alleged sexually abusive behavior dating back to at least 1988, and deliberately concealed Tyndall's actions.

In June LAPD detectives assigned to the Robbery-Homicide Division served a search warrant at Tyndall's condo on Wilshire Boulevard in the Westlake District near downtown.

Tyndall was not arrested.

Manly said many of his clients have been frustrated by the pace of the criminal investigation.

"Almost every one of our clients has had contact with the LAPD," Manly said. "Only six or seven have been interviewed by the LA County District Attorney's Office, and honestly, for our survivors, that's frustrating. They understand it's a slow process, but many of them fear without an arrest, he's going to flee."

Prosecutors have begun to consider criminal charges in 28 cases presented by detectives in the last month, the DA's office told NBC4.

"We are working closely with law enforcement to further investigate where necessary," a statement said.

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 cover up, 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.