A $ 215 million settlement for alleged abuses by USC gynecologists

(LOS ANGELES) – The University of Southern California on Friday announced an agreement in principle on the settlement of a dispute of $ 215 million for the resolution of litigation involving allegations sexual harassment and sexual abuse by a gynecologist who has been treating students for decades.

The agreement with the plaintiffs' lawyers provides for compensation ranging from $ 2,500 to $ 250,000 for women who claimed violence against Dr. George Tyndall between 1988 and 2016, the acting president of the United States said in a statement. USC, Wanda Austin.

About 500 current and former students have already laid charges against Tyndall. They claim that he regularly makes cruel comments, that he takes inappropriate photographs, that he forces them to undress and that he gropes them under the guise of medical treatments.

Tyndall spent about three decades as a gynecologist at the USC before retiring last year after a USC investigation concluded that it was proven that Tyndall had sexually harassed students during physical exams.

Tyndall denied the allegations and was not charged with a crime. USC denied concealment charges.

The university was criticized for the first time in this case after the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this year that complaints and comments about Tyndall's care had been ignored for decades and that USC had not not reported his case to the medical board even after the school forced him to retire last year.

Two directors were dismissed and the president C.L. Max Nikias resigned following criticism.

The Los Angeles Police and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office are reviewing the allegations against Tyndall.

Austin said in a statement that since she became interim president, "a fair and respectful resolution for as many old patients as possible has been a priority for the university and for me personally" .

"Many radical changes have been made and we continue to work every day to prevent any form of misconduct on our campuses, to provide exceptional care for all students and to ensure that we have policies and procedures that provide priority to the respect of our students and of our whole society. university community, "she said.