USC announced Oct. 19 that it has reached an “agreement in principle” to pay $215 million to patients treated by longtime campus gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall who has been accused of abusing and sexually harassing scores of young women.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, this would provide at least $2,500 to each student who saw Tyndall at the campus health clinic and up to $250,000 to students who accused him of sexual abuse.
Class Action Settlement
The proposed settlement covers those former patients who joined a federal class action lawsuit. However, the hundreds of claims made in state court have not yet been resolved. Those who sued USC and Tyndall in state court can join this settlement or continue their litigation. So far, at least 463 former patients have sued USC.
The judge handling the class action claims has not yet reviewed or approved the agreement. The LA Times has reported that an internal USC investigation concluded Tyndall’s behavior while performing pelvic exams was outside the scope of current medical practice and amounted to sexual harassment. However, the university cut a secret deal allowing Tyndall to resign with an undisclosed financial settlement quietly. No criminal charges have been filed against the doctor.
USC isn’t the only university in the US that may have to pay large sums due to staff sexual misconduct. In May, Michigan State reached a $500 million settlement with hundreds of women who said sports doctor Larry Nassar sexually assaulted them. And Penn State has paid out more than $100 million in sex abuse cases involving assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
Justice for Victims
This class action settlement appears to be just the beginning in this complex case involving hundreds of women who allege the USC doctor sexually abused or harassed them. We hope these plaintiffs receive a fair trial and the chance to be heard.
The class action attorneys at Bisnar Chase trust this case and others around the country will result in creating more stringent procedures, requirements, and codes, particularly for gynecologists. For example, rules regarding having chaperones present during an intimate physical exam for men and women should be properly established so there are no grey areas. We also hope that these cases pave the way for a better system for patients to register their complaints about sexual harassment or abuse in a medical setting.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-usc-settlement-proposal-20181019-story.html
