LOS ANGELES _ The lead physician at the Engemann Student Health Clinic, Dr. William Leavitt, confirmed he was fired Thursday afternoon and said he was not informed of the reasons for his termination. Tammie Akiyoshi, the clinical director at the health clinic, was also fired, sources said.
The terminations come as outrage grows on and outside the University of Southern California campus over the university's handling of Tyndall and as more former patients came forward with disturbing stories about their treatment while studying at the university.
Leavitt, a physician at USC since 1991, said in a brief phone interview Friday that "I'm basically the scapegoat... From my perspective it's a wrongful termination."
USC said this week that complaints about Tyndall dating back to the early 2000s reached Dr. Larry Neinstein, the late executive director of the clinic, but he "handled patient complaints independently." The university said it was unclear why Tyndall was allowed to remain in his position.
Leavitt said that Neinstein, who died in 2016, was being unfairly blamed, and he dismissed USC's portrayal of his management.
"Dr. Neinstein never did anything without consulting the people above him," Leavitt told the Los Angeles Times.
Michael Jackson, vice president for student affairs and one of Neinstein's supervisors through 2013, said in a statement that Neinstein "never shared with me information about behavior that is cited in the recent L.A. Times articles about Dr. Tyndall. Had Dr. Neinstein ever shared that kind of information with me, I would have promptly reported it to USC's General Counsel Office and the Provost's Office for their review."
The Times reported that Akiyoshi had received several complaints from a nurse about lewd remarks and inappropriate pelvic exams by Tyndall, the sole full-time gynecologist at the clinic for nearly three decades. Akiyoshi could not be reached for comment.
Todd Dickey, USC's senior vice president for administration, said in a statement that the university removed two supervisors from the student health center, adding "the university does not take personnel decisions lightly, but will hold people accountable for their supervision and inaction."
The complaints about Tyndall's behavior from co-workers and patients date to at least 2000, according to USC, which admitted this week that the physician should have been forced out of his job years ago. Other patients alleged that the misconduct was occurring from the early 1990s.
Cindy Gilbert, a supervising nurse, became frustrated by Akiyoshi and other administrators. In June 2016, Gilbert reported Tyndall to the campus rape crisis center.
Tyndall was removed from the clinic in the wake of Gilbert's report, and he was placed on paid leave for nearly one year. An internal investigation determined that his pelvic exams were outside the scope of accepted medical practice and amounted to sexual harassment of patients.
USC reached a secret deal with Tyndall last summer that allowed him to resign with a financial payout. Administrators did not report him at the time to the state medical board, which investigates problem doctors. The university acknowledged this week that the failure was a mistake and said it had filed a belated complaint in March.
In earlier interviews, the 71-year-old physician denied that he acted improperly and said his pelvic exams were thorough and appropriate. He did not respond to several messages seeking comment this week and could not be reached Friday.
Gilbert, the nurse who made a spate of complaints against the gynecologist, reiterated Friday that she told Akiyoshi about Tyndall about a half-dozen times.
"Anyone who knew that it was going on and didn't act on it should be held responsible," she said.
The trail of allegations against Tyndall has grown since The Times published its report, making headlines around the world. Gilbert said the public's attention was overdue.
"I'm glad that it came out, but I'm sad that it took so long," she said.
