Nov. 8, 2019 will be the last day for former patients of Dr. George Tyndall, the ex-campus gynecologist accused of hundreds of cases of sexual misconduct, to submit a claim under a $215 million class-action settlement with USC.
Class members are described as women who were seen for treatment by Tyndall at the USC Student Health Center during the period of Aug. 14, 1989, to June 21, 2016, according to the USC Student Health Center Litigation Settlement Website.
Class members are guaranteed a $2,500 payment simply by being a member of the lawsuit. Those who file and provide additional claims and information may receive compensation ranging from $7,500 to $250,000.
Those who wish to file a claim must submit the required forms online, via email or postmarked by mail no later than Friday, Nov. 8. These forms can be found at the USC Student Health Center Litigation Settlement Website.
In June 2019, Tyndall was charged with committing 29 felonies at the USC Student Health Center, encompassing allegations by women reporting incidents between 2009 and 2016, making it “the largest sex crimes inquiry involving a single suspect in Los Angeles Police Department history,” according to a story by the LA Times.
After the Tyndall case, the university has made efforts to strengthen transparency, accountability and wellness through the establishment of several new offices, such as the Office of Ombuds Services and the Office of Professionalism and Ethics.
The Office of Ombuds Services is designed to create safe spaces for university community members to address difficult workplace situations, and for employees to seek impartial guidance on a range of work-related issues. Students have accessed this office at both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses.
The Office of Professionalism and Ethics (OPE) aims to effectively track and address complaints on campus and all university programs and affiliates. OPE, led by Vice President Michael Blanton, is the new designated office providing oversight for all university investigations moving forward.
In addition to these two new offices, USC is working to improve campus culture through the President’s Culture Commission established by former Interim President Wanda Austin. As of today, 12 of the 18 proposed policy changes have been implemented.
Completed measures include the hiring of two new female board-certified gynecologists and 10 new mental health practitioners, and the formation of a new faculty committee to review the results of faculty investigations. Ongoing measures include redrafting the university’s code of ethics and hiring a new Senior Vice President of Human Resources.
The final hearing approval hearing for the settlement regarding USC and Tyndall will be held on Jan. 6, 2020. Payments will be issued at a later date yet to be determined.
[2:58 p.m. Oct. 30, 2019] For the record: After the story was published, USC reached out to Annenberg Media and informed the publication that 12, instead of 10, of 18 measures have been implemented. USC said the page administrator for change.usc.edu will update the page to reflect that.