81 women file civil suit against army gynecologist already charged criminally | US military
81 more women have recently filed a civil lawsuit against a U.S. military gynecologist accused of secretly filming dozens of his patients during medical exams.
The civil lawsuit, which first began in November, alleges that Blaine McGraw, a doctor and major at Fort Hood in Texas, repeatedly inappropriately touched and secretly filmed dozens of women during appointments at a central medical center.
The women claim they were “subjected to invasive, unnecessary and degrading touching, voyeurism and covert filming.”
Lawyers for the alleged victims filed an expanded complaint Wednesday, less than a day after the military’s Office of Special Counsel filed criminal charges against McGraw. Accordingly CNNThe criminal charges include 54 specifications of “indecent video recording” and other related offenses involving 44 identified victims.
While the military’s lawsuit focuses on the alleged recordings, the updated civil lawsuit goes further, charging McGraw with assault, sexual assault and battery under Texas law. The application alleges that he “intentionally and knowingly engaged in harmful and offensive physical contact” during gynecological examinations. McGraw treated patients at Fort Hood beginning in 2023.
An active-duty soldier described an encounter during a rape kit inspection in which he suspected McGraw of taking photographs.
“During this extremely sensitive procedure, the man was constantly talking on his phone while he was between his legs,” the lawsuit states. The woman now believes he used his phone to photograph her during the exam.
The complaint also states that McGraw “failed to document in his medical records that the rape kit was administered.” The complaint alleges that prosecutors who later prosecuted his case in criminal court “lacked clear judicial documentation, and the attacker was ultimately acquitted.”
“McGraw’s misconduct in this setting was not just a failure to protect the victim of sexual violence,” the application adds. “This actively undermined her access to justice and enabled her perpetrator to evade accountability.”
Legal experts and advocacy groups said: Washington Post This case could test whether the Pentagon’s recent reforms addressing sexual abuse and supporting survivors are working as intended.
