A disgraced University of Southern California gynecologist accused of sexually abusing hundreds of women was found dead in his Los Angeles home Wednesday before going on trial on dozens of criminal charges, his attorney said.
George Tyndall, 76, was found dead in his bed by a close friend who was unable to reach him by phone, defense attorney Leonard Levine said Thursday.
Levine told the Associated Press there was “no evidence of foul play or suicide,” but the coroner’s office is expected to perform an autopsy.
The college doctor died before being tried on 27 felony counts of sexual misconduct between 2009 and 2016 at USC’s student health center. He was initially charged with 35 charges before some were dropped, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He faces up to 64 years in prison if convicted.
George Tyndall, a former USC campus gynecologist, was found dead on Wednesday. LA Times via Getty Images
He pleaded not guilty in 2019 and is free on bond as a trial start date has yet to be determined.
Hundreds of women have accused Tyndall of sexual misconduct, but some cases have passed the 10-year statute of limitations and others do not reach the criminal level or lack sufficient evidence.
Tyndall, who denies the sickening allegations, is due back in court later this month to set a trial date.
The allegations involved hundreds of women he had dated over the years. AP
“He always maintained his innocence,” Levine said of his client, who has worked at the university for nearly 30 years.
Still, USC spent $852 million on more than 700 women who accused the longtime campus gynecologist of sexual abuse in 2021.
During depositions related to the case, Tyndall, who lost his license in 2019, mostly exercised his right against self-incrimination, plaintiffs’ attorneys said. He also denied any wrongdoing when signing the settlement.
University of Southern California’s Engemann Student Health Center in Los Angeles. AP
In another settlement, USC paid $215 million to settle a class-action lawsuit involving 18,000 women treated by Tyndall. The payout — which ranges from $2,500 to $250,000 — was awarded even though the woman had not formally accused Tyndall of harassment or assault.
Tyndall was the subject of sexual misconduct complaints at USC in the 1990s, according to a Los Angeles Times story that first broke the sickening allegations in 2018.
He wasn’t suspended until 2016 after a nurse reported him to a rape crisis center and then he resigned the following year with a hefty payout.
With Postal wire
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