Consulate of China expresses concern over report of USC doctor accused of bad behavior

LOS ANGELES - Consulate General of China in Los Angeles expressed its deep concern Wednesday over the report of a doctor at the University of Southern California (USC) accused of bad behavior to female patients including Chinese students in recent years.

According to Los Angeles Times, Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the the USC's student health clinic, was allowed to continue his work for years after the university first received complaints of him repeated misconduct toward his young patients.

The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students' genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of "creepy" behaviors, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies.

In recent years, some colleagues feared that Tyndall was targeting the university's growing population of Chinese students, who often had a limited knowledge of the English language and American medical norms, Los Angeles Times reported.

"We noticed the report and expressed our deep concern over the situation," said an official of Consulate General of China in Los Angeles.

"We request USC to take serious step to investigate the issue and protect Chinese students from illegal violation," the official added.

"Nothing is more important to me, or to our community, than the health and safety of our students," C. L. Max Nikias, president of the USC, said in a statement Tuesday.

"As the parent of two daughters who were undergraduates and graduate students at the USC, I understand how vital it is for the university to do everything it can to care for the students who put their trust in us," said Nikias, adding that he is wholly committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for everyone on campus.

Nikias urged anyone with additional information or concerns regarding Tyndall's behavior to report it through a dedicated hotline or website.

"As of late this afternoon, we had received 85 responses to our hotline and website, about half of which were anonymous. The responses were largely from former students, who provided information on their experiences with Dr. Tyndall," Michael Quick, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Todd R. Dickey, senior vice president for administration, said Wednesday in a statement to the USC community of over 350,000 current and former students, alumni, parents, faculty, and staff.

USC officials said they are actively seeking all facts and are dedicated to providing the most compassionate support they can.

The USC is a leading private research university located in Los Angeles. There are 45,500 students enrolled in the 2017-18 academic year, including around 5,400 from mainland China.