
A former doctor on the University of Southern California campus who was accused of sexually assaulting students was discovered dead inside his home on Wednesday, according to his attorney.
At the university’s student health center, George Tyndall was facing trial on 35 felony counts of sexual misconduct that occurred between 2009 and 2016. In 2019, he entered a not-guilty plea and was released on bail.
On Thursday, Tyndall’s defense lawyer Leonard Levine informed The Associated Press that his client had passed away.
On Wednesday, a close friend visited Tyndall at his Los Angeles home after he hadn’t returned her calls, according to Levine. In his bed, she discovered him dead.
Although the coroner’s office will do an autopsy, Levine stated that there is “no evidence of foul play or suicide.”
Levine stated that Tyndall was scheduled to return to court later this month to schedule his trial. His client wanted to argue his case in front of a jury and vigorously denied any misconduct.
Levine stated, “He’s always maintained his innocence.
Hundreds of women came forward to submit their complaints to the police, but some of the instances were too old to be brought, others did not warrant filing a criminal complaint, and still, others lacked the supporting evidence needed to bring a case. But if found guilty, he could spend up to 64 years behind bars.
In 2021, the attorneys for the victims and USC revealed that they had reached a $852 million settlement with the more than 700 women who had accused the college’s longstanding campus doctor of sexual abuse while the criminal case was still pending.
Tyndall, who spent close to three decades working at the school, was interviewed for the settlement and mostly asserted his privilege against self-incrimination, according to the plaintiff’s attorneys. He signed the settlement, but he made no financial contributions and made no admissions of guilt.
Separately, USC previously consented to pay $215 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit involving roughly 18,000 women who were Tyndall’s patients. Those victims received individual settlements ranging from $2,500 to $250,000, and they were given whether or not the women had formally accused Tyndall of harassment or assault.
The initial accusations against Tyndall came to light in 2018 after a Los Angeles Times investigation discovered that the doctor had been the target of USC complaints of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s.
In 2016, after a nurse reported him to a rape crisis center, he was suspended. The following year, he was able to leave discreetly with a sizable settlement.
Tyndall gave up his medical license in September of this year.