President of University of Southern California urged to quit

Two hundred faculty members at the University of Southern California have called on school president to step down following accusations of sexual misconduct against a former physician at the school's student health center.

In a letter to the school's board of trustees, they said that Max Nikias had "lost the moral authority to lead" in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct, the Los Angeles Times and NBC reported.

The faculty members from 14 different schools within the university said that they had come together to "express our outrage and disappointment over the mounting evidence of President Nikias' failure to protect our students, our staff, and our colleagues from repeated and pervasive sexual harassment and misconduct".

The letter said: "We call upon President Nikias to step aside, and upon the board of trustees to restore moral leadership to the university."

On Tuesday, Nikias sent the campus community a 20-page action plan that he said was prepared at the request of trustees, according to the Times. It called for a wide rethinking of university ethics that will include a rewriting of USC's Code of Ethics and a new presidential commission on improving campus culture.

There have been calls for Nikias' ouster on social media and in an online petition circulated by alumni since the Times last week detailed USC's handling of complaints about gynecologist Doctor George Tyndall.

The online petition started on May 17 by Rini Sampath, who graduated from USC in 2016, had more than 2,500 signatures as of Tuesday.

Sampath said she wanted to see accountability at USC. "First and foremost, I want to see Nikias removed from office," Sampath said. "I also want the school administration and the board of trustees to launch a full investigation to see who else was involved in the cover-up of the scandal itself and figure out how we can hold them responsible."

A Times report on May 16 revealed that Tyndall, 71, was accused by co-workers of exhibiting "creepy behaviors" toward female patients, including photographing their genitals and touching them inappropriately during pelvic exams.

The Times quoted former colleagues alleging that Tyndall targeted young women, especially those from China and other Asian countries, for exams that included lewd remarks about patients' sex lives and bodies.

Tyndall denied any wrongdoing in interviews with the Times.

There are more than 5,400 overseas Chinese students (out of an enrollment close to 44,000) at the private university in Los Angeles, more than from any other foreign country.

After the Times report, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles issued a statement, expressing "serious concerns" about USC's handling of the matter.

Zoe Zhang, who graduated from USC last year, said she chose to wait until a female doctor was available when she had her first gynecological exam at the USC Engemann Student Health Center last year.

"Girls need to choose a female doctor, even if it means waiting for a few more days. If you see a male doctor, you should ensure a female nurse is in the same examination room with you. There's no need to put oneself in a risky situation," she said.

Liu Yinmeng in Los Angeles contributed to this story.