George Tyndall, 76, was awaiting trial on more than two dozen criminal counts of misconduct at University of Southern California

The former University of Southern California campus gynecologist at the center of more than $1bn worth of university payouts stemming from sexual abuse allegations by hundreds of women was found dead inside his home Wednesday, his lawyer said.

George Tyndall, 76, was awaiting trial on more than two dozen criminal counts of sexual misconduct between 2009 and 2016 at the university’s student health center. He pleaded not guilty in 2019 and was free on bond ahead of a trial that had not yet been scheduled. His lawyer, Leonard Levine, confirmed his death Thursday.

Andrea Smith, an ethnic studies scholar at a California university, had faced decades of criticism for claiming Cherokee heritage

An ethnic studies professor at the University of California, Riverside, will resign next year following more than a decade of outrage over accusations that she falsely claimed Indigenous American heritage.

Andrea Smith, once a heralded scholar of Native American studies, faced criticism since at least 2008 for claiming she was Cherokee but had remained employed at the southern California university. Last year, 13 of her colleagues at UC Riverside alleged that she made fraudulent claims to Indigenous American identity and violated academic integrity.

Marc Tessier-Lavigne said he will step down because he expects continued debate about his ability to lead the university

The president of Stanford University, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, has announced he will resign after concerns about the integrity of his research.

Tessier-Lavigne announced his plans to step down on 31 August in a letter to students and staff on Wednesday.