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A federal judge in Los Angeles said this week that he was inclined to give final approval to the University of Southern California’s $215 million class-action settlement with former patients of Dr. George Tyndall, the campus gynecologist accused of sexual misconduct involving hundreds of patients during his decades-long tenure. The judge, Stephen V. Wilson of United States District Court, said in court on Monday that he was “inclined to accept” the settlement, which would clear the way for the university to start writing checks to more than 18,000 women who saw Dr. Tyndall during their time at the university, according to lawyers involved in the case. (Padilla, 1/7)

In a statement, USC said it was pleased with the decision, calling it a settlement that “provides respectful and confidential relief to Tyndall patients at the student health center and formalizes a broad array of campus reforms.” Tyndall will not contribute to the settlement, under its terms, nor will he admit liability or wrongdoing. His attorney said Monday that her client continues to deny wrongdoing. (1/7)

Finalizing the settlement closes the door to a large portion of USC’s legal exposure, but it does not end the institution’s mounting costs related to the Tyndall scandal. The university’s handling of the student health doctor, first exposed by an investigation by The Times, sparked a Department of Education probe and prompted more than 600 plaintiffs to file state court lawsuits that are still pending. (Hamilton, 1/6)