USC President To Step Down Over Handling Of Sex Abuse Scandal

LOS ANGELES, CA — USC President C.L. Max Nikias agreed to resign his position amid a wave of allegations that the university mishandled sexual abuse complaints against the campus gynecologist for decades.

The move comes on the same day six new lawsuits were filed against the school by former students alleging they were sexually abused or harassed by Dr.George Tyndall under the guise of gynecological exams and that the school's cover-up allowed it to happen. It also comes just days after the USC Board of Trustees announced their support for Nikias; the same day hundreds of university professors signed a petition calling for his ouster.

Rick Caruso, chair of the USC Board of Trustees, said in a statement that Nikias and the trustees' Executive Committee, "have agreed to begin an orderly transition and commence the process of selecting a new president."

"We appreciate the voices of the many members of the university community who have expressed indignation from the harm inflicted on our students by Dr. Tyndall. As a father of USC students, an alumnus and a member of the USC community, I share your outrage and understand the frustration and anger regarding the situation with the former physician," the statement says. "The University of Southern California is governed by a Board of Trustees, with both a fiduciary and legal responsibility to that community. We have heard the message that something is broken and that urgent and profound actions are needed."

Caruso said "our actions will be swift and thorough, but we ask for your patience as we manage a complex process with due diligence. We will work with faculty, staff, student leadership and alumni, and our focus remains on offering support and counseling to those impacted, investigating what happened, and listening to and healing our community."

USC trustees, commenting on the scandal for the first time Tuesday, said they were "troubled" about Dr. George Tyndall's alleged conduct, but they had "full confidence" in Nikias to carry out an "action plan" to address problems and put better safeguards in place. Their confidence stands in stark contrast to more than 200 USC professors, who signed a petition contending Nikias "lost the moral authority to lead" following reports that he and USC administrators knew about Tyndall's alleged sexual abuse of students for years while allowing him to continue to provide gynecological services to unsuspecting young women.

In the petition, faculty members wrote that they had come together to "express our outrage and disappointment over the mounting evidence of President Nikias' failure to protect our students, our staff, and our colleagues from repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct. The letter calling for a regime change at USC -- signed by representatives of 14 different schools within the university -- called upon Nikias "to step aside, and upon the Board of Trustees to restore moral leadership to the university."

This week, a dozen USC students filed lawsuits against the university related to Tyndall's removal, which the university acknowledged in response to a months- long investigation by the Los Angeles Times. One of the lawsuits was filed in Los Angeles federal court and proposed class-action status on behalf of former students who were allegedly abused by Tyndall.

In one lawsuit, four women identified only as Jane Does contend that Tyndall forced them to strip naked and groped them under the guise of medical treatment for his "sexual gratification." The suit also accuses the university of failing to properly respond to complaints about Tyndall.

"Plaintiffs are informed and believe, and on this basis allege, that defendant USC benefited financially from actively concealing myriad complaints of sexual abuse made by its female students against Tyndall by protecting its own reputation and financial coffers," according to the lawsuit.

One of six new lawsuits filed Friday alleges the university received numerous complaints of Tyndall's sexually abusive behavior, dating back to the early 1990s, and deliberately concealed the abuse. Following an internal investigation of complaints against Tyndall in 2016, the university paid Tyndall a substantial financial settlement so that he would resign and so USC could continue to actively conceal the myriad complaints they had received, the suit alleges.

Plaintiffs' attorney John Manly said Friday morning, "USC scandal is growing by the day. Sadly, the university and its board of trustees have not taken the necessary steps to determine who was responsible and hold them accountable."

Tyndall, 71, has denied wrongdoing. In interviews with The Times, the physician defended his medical exams as thorough and appropriate, and said some of his comments to patients were misinterpreted.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

Photo: MAY 11: School President of USC CL Max Nikias attends The University Of Southern California's Commencement Ceremony at Alumni Park at USC on May 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)