Irvine, California – Survivors of alleged sexual assault by former USC gynecologist George Tyndall and their attorneys called today’s signing of AB 1510 “A window to justice for sexual assault victims throughout California.”
The new law, authored by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes and supported by hundreds of George Tyndall survivors, will give women the opportunity to bring lawsuits against the University who otherwise would have their claims barred under the State’s current statute of limitations law.
“There is no statute of limitations on the suffering of these women, so there should not be a statute of limitations on their ability to seek justice,” said attorney John Manly, whose firm represents more than 200 survivors of George Tyndall.
More than 600 women have filed lawsuits against the University in the George Tyndall case. Tyndall is currently on bail pending trial for his alleged sexual assaults, and he has been forced to surrender his medical license.
“As an experienced sex crimes prosecutor, I know how empowering it is for victims to confront their abusers in court and hold them accountable. I am grateful that the Governor and the legislature took action to give this power to victims of George Tyndall like myself, who would have had access to the courts barred by the statute of limitations,” said Audry Nafziger, Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney.
“The passage of AB 1510 shows survivors of sexual assault and abuse in California that we do have a voice. Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, a USC graduate, heard our voice and led the bipartisan effort to create a new law that will open a window to justice for all survivors of George Tyndall and give us the opportunity to bring his enablers at USC to justice,” said Lucy Chi, Tyndall survivor and victim’s advocate.
“Accusations of abuse by George Tyndall go back three decades. As one of the most recent survivors, the law allowed me to bring a civil case against him and USC, but many of my sister survivors were denied that right by the statute of limitations. Now we are all equal in the eyes of the law, thanks to AB 1510,” said attorney and Tyndall survivor Ja’Mesha Morgan.
Tyndall was the only full-time gynecologist at USC for nearly 30 years, and women have reported assaults by him going back to 1989. The new law will allow alleged victims of George Tyndall to file a lawsuit against the University between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, no matter how long ago the alleged assaults took place.
A federal court order gives victims until November 7th, 2019, to decide whether or not to pursue a claim against the University. If this deadline is missed, victims could lose their right to bring a claim. Anyone who believes they were assaulted by Dr. Tyndall should contact an experienced sexual abuse attorney for information and to protect their rights.
Manly Stewart & Finaldi is the nation’s leading firm representing athletes in child sexual abuse cases against school districts, Universities, and Olympic Governing Bodies. They recently represented 180 alleged victims of former Olympic Team doctor Larry Nassar, resulting in a $500 million-dollar settlement against Michigan State University. In 2018, the firm settled cases against the Torrance Unified School District for $31 million on behalf of alleged victims of former wrestling coach and convicted child molester Thomas Snider, against Los Angeles Unified School district for $8 million in cases involving former football coach and convicted child molester Jamie Jimenez, and for $14 million in cases involving former Los Angeles Unified District employee Ronnie Lee Roman. The firm has also settled $30 million in claims against Redlands Unified School District.
