The president of the University of Southern California (USC) has stepped down, months after he agreed to, over a scandal involving a school doctor.<\/p>\n
CL Max Nikias is now President Emeritus of USC as the university faces lawsuits over the alleged actions of a former campus gynaecologist.<\/p>\n
The lawsuits accuse George Tyndall, who worked at a university clinic for 30 years, of sexual misconduct, including groping and improper examinations.<\/p>\n
Mr Tyndall has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
USC Board of Trustees Chairman Rick Caruso said\u00a0in a statement<\/a>\u00a0on Tuesday that Mr Nikias had stepped down, effective immediately, but would “continue to assist with the transition of the incoming president”.<\/p>\n As the university looks for a replacement president, board member\u00a0Wanda Austin<\/a>– former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation – has been named interim president.<\/p>\n She is the first female and first African American appointed to serve in the role.<\/p>\n Ms Austin was also the first female and African American president at the Aerospace Corp.<\/p>\n Gloria Allred, one of the lawyers representing some of Mr Tyndall’s alleged victims\u00a0told CNN<\/a>\u00a0it was “a slap in the face to the hundreds of female students” that Mr Nikias would remain at the university in an emeritus capacity.<\/p>\n Other lawyers representing dozens of plaintiffs in the case echoed the same sentiment.<\/p>\n “A cosmetic departure 10 weeks after this was made public will do nothing to change the culture that has operated in the dark for 30 years,” attorney Andy Rubenstein told CNN.<\/p>\n Regarding the scandals around Mr Tyndall, the chairman said that “the behaviour and environment that allowed it to persist are inexcusable and will no longer be tolerated”.<\/p>\n “The Board and I are committed to an ambitious, aggressive agenda for change. As I have said previously, it is evident that the recent crises have resulted from systemic and cultural failures. ”<\/p>\n Mr Nikias had announced his resignation in May, but remained in his role.<\/p>\n More than 670 concerned faculty members who believed Mr Nikias did not intend to step down signed a petition to ensure his departure,\u00a0the Washington Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Two months ago, we wrote to you to express our grave concern over the terrible episodes that have shaken the university during the last year,”\u00a0the petition reads.<\/a><\/p>\n “We called for President Nikias to step aside to allow new leaders to heal the damage to the university, restore the trust of the community, and help us to move forward…We ask the Board to move swiftly to announce the formal resignation of President Nikias and the installation of an interim President by the time our students arrive.”<\/p>\n USC professor Ariela Gross told the Post: “It’s just not acceptable to go back on what was already announced two months ago. We really can’t move forward until we have new leadership.”<\/p>\n The university has created a new Office of Professional Ethics to ensure future issues are addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.<\/p>\n The Tyndall case arose after the Los Angeles Times published accounts from former and current employees about his alleged sexual misconduct as a gynaecologist.<\/p>\n Two class actions were filed in May “on behalf of thousands of female students”.<\/p>\n Lawyer Howard Janet said his team’s case “centres on allegations of grossly improper pelvic exams that involved improper probing, at times without gloves, sexually charged remarks and illicit photographing of genitalia”.<\/p>\n A lawyer for another group taking action at USC, John Manly, said the case there also had echoes of Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar,\u00a0who is serving a life term in jail for sexually abusing more than 300 women and girls<\/a>\u00a0at the university and at USA Gymnastics.<\/p>\n Mr Tyndall denied wrongdoing in interviews with US media.<\/p>\n He left the university in 2017 after it found he had made inappropriate remarks to patients.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What are the allegations?<\/h2>\n