LOS ANGELES: Dr George Tyndall, the longtime USC campus gynecologist accused of sexual misconduct against a generation of women at the US university, was found dead on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76.
German news agency (dpa) reported that Tyndall’s death forecloses a criminal trial set for next year. Scores of USC alumnae were expected to take the stand against him and testify to inappropriate touching and harassing remarks during gynecological exams at a campus health clinic.
“I’m not happy that he died. I wanted to see him convicted for what he did,” said Audry Nafziger, a former patient who had accused Tyndall of inappropriately touching her and photographing her genitals.
No autopsy was to be performed, said Kelsie Weber of the LA County Medical Examiner’s office. Weber said the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) had reported it to the office as a natural death. “We are not taking jurisdiction of the case,” she said.
Tyndall’s defence attorney, Leonard Levine, said a close female friend had tried to reach his client yesterday but he was not picking up the phone. When the friend visited Tyndall’s condo, she found him in bed and unresponsive.
“From the very beginning, Tyndall had adamantly denied all the charges against him. All he ever wanted was his day in court, which he was confident would end in his complete exoneration,” Levine said.
“Now, neither he nor his accusers will get that, and that is very unfortunate for everyone involved.”
Levine said he notified the court and expected to present a death certificate at the next hearing in the criminal case pending against Tyndall.
USC made the largest payout in higher education history — more than US$1.1 billion — to settle claims related to thousands of women treated by Tyndall during his 27-year tenure at the university.
“He got away with it. Spent almost no days in jail. Caused untold suffering to hundreds, if not thousands, of students at USC. I’m at a loss to explain this to my clients,” said John Manly, one of the lead attorneys in the civil lawsuits. –Bernama
