Ex-University of Southern California gynaecologist George Tyndall, who was accused of abusing hundreds of students, pleads not guilty to sexual assault
- Authorities say more than 350 women, many Asian, accused Tyndall of molestation and sexually inappropriate behaviour during medical exams at USC
- He claims he carried out examinations ‘by the book’ and his lawyer argued ‘the character assassination is overwhelming in this case’
A former University of Southern California gynaecologist accused by hundreds of patients of molestation and other misconduct over the past three decades pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of sexually assaulting 16 students who were under his care.
George Tyndall, 72, was also ordered to remain in custody in lieu of nearly US$2.1 million bond, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Theresa Sullivan said she would review a defence request to slash his bail at another hearing on Wednesday.
Tyndall was charged last week with 29 felony counts of sexual penetration and sexual battery by fraud in a scandal that has already resulted in a US$215 million civil settlement in federal court.
The 16 patients he is criminally charged with assaulting were students who ranged in age from 17 to 29 and were allegedly violated by Tyndall at the downtown Los Angeles university’s campus health centre between 2009 and 2016.
Flier entered a not guilty plea on Tyndall’s behalf during a 20-minute court hearing. If convicted on all charges, Tyndall faces a prison term of up to 53 years.
The grey-haired doctor entered the courtroom with his hands shackled to his waist and stood silently behind a glass partition during the proceedings, wearing a padded blue garment commonly called a “suicide suit”.
Flier told reporters his client was “not suicidal whatsoever” but was required by jail officials to wear the outfit “for his own protection”.
Upon his arrest last Wednesday, Tyndall complained of chest pains and was briefly sent to hospital, police said. Flier said his client was returned to custody on Friday after examinations and tests medically cleared him.
The .38-calibre handgun Tyndall was carrying when arrested was meant for self-defence, his lawyer said, adding that Tyndall “has had a lot of threats”.
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Authorities say more than 350 women reported being subjected to molestation, lewd comments and other sexually inappropriate behaviour by Tyndall during medical exams by him at USC, long one of America’s most prestigious private universities.
Many accusers said they recalled sensing something unprofessional or “creepy” about Tyndall at the time, only to fully comprehend in retrospect – after reading media accounts of other complaints – that they had been victimised.
Tyndall insists he is innocent and conducted his exams “by the book”, always with a “chaperone” in the room and always wearing gloves, Flier told reporters.
“As soon as someone makes an inappropriate comment, that does not connote” criminal behaviour, the lawyer said. “The character assassination is overwhelming in this case.”
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Flier said he was trying to lower Tyndall’s bail to US$500,000, a bond sum he said the doctor could afford.
A federal court earlier this month granted preliminary approval to a US$215 million settlement in a class-action civil suit filed on behalf of Tyndall’s former patients. Tyndall’s lawyers said he agreed to the settlement to avoid further litigation costs.
