California prison gynecologist accused of ‘horrific’ abuse of patients in lawsuit
California prison gynecologist accused of ‘horrific’ abuse of patients in lawsuit
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Class-action also alleges prison officials know of Dr Scott Lee’s abuse of incarcerated women for years, but did not act. A gynecologist at a California prison sexually abused people in custody for years, subjecting them to “horrific, sadistic” mistreatment under the guise of medical care, according to a lawsuit filed by six women this week. The class-action complaint announced on Wednesday alleges that Dr Scott Lee, a 70-year-old OB-GYN, repeatedly sexually harassed and physically abused his patients behind bars at the California Institution for Women (CIW) from 2016 to 2023 while he was the sole gynecologist on staff.
A 93-page complaint filed in federal court details allegations that Lee conducted abusive exams and coercive procedures, refused to stop exams when patients were in pain, forcibly restrained them when they expressed discomfort, made inappropriate and sexualized comments and retaliated against incarcerated victims who complained about his mistreatment. Prison officials were aware of the threat he posed to patients, but did not hold him accountable, the suit says.
A spokesperson for the California department of corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) did not comment on the specific claims in the lawsuit against Lee, saying in an email: “While we are unable to comment on personnel matters, Dr Scott Lee no longer has direct in-person contact with patients.”. Lee did not immediately respond to inquiries on Wednesday. The incarcerated patients had no choice but to keep seeing him for treatment even after they were victimized, said Yashna Eswaran, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
“For so many of these people, their gynecological care was conditioned upon being abused,” she said. “If they refused treatment from him because they felt unsafe, they didn’t get to see another provider.”. Attorneys said they were bringing the case as a class-action on behalf of “hundreds and potentially thousands of people currently or formerly incarcerated at CIW”. The suit comes weeks after Gregory Rodriguez, a former guard at another California state women’s prison, was convicted of 64 counts of sexual abuse against incarcerated women. Prosecutors said Rodriguez targeted women in his custody for years, and a Guardian investigation in 2023 revealed that the prison had received a report of his abuse in 2014, but instead of firing him, punished the victims. It also follows a major scandal at a federal women’s prison in California that closed amid reports of rampant abuse by officers, including the former warden.
One plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe 4, saw Lee in April 2023 when she was seven-and-a-half months pregnant. She asked for privacy as she undressed, but he refused to leave the room, the suit says. The doctor then allegedly fondled her without explanation and “pressed on her pelvic and vaginal areas with force”, prompting her to say he was hurting her. Lee dismissed her concerns and then without explanation, digitally penetrated her in a “sexualized and aggressive manner”, the complaint says; the abuse caused her to bleed for the first time during her pregnancy, which continued for days, causing her to live “in fear for the well-being of her unborn child”.
“I remember holding my stomach, and I was just praying, ‘God, please let this be over, please let this be over, please let this be over.’ I felt like he was raping my baby,” the plaintiff said in a statement shared by her attorneys. Roughly a week later, Lee inappropriately touched her again and became aggressive when she refused another pelvic exam, the suit says. After she gave birth, she refused to be housed in an outpatient housing unit because Lee worked there, even though the placement would have provided her more comfort, she said. When she requested a breast pump, postpartum pads and a wheelchair, Lee denied the supplies, the suit says: “Jane Doe 4 suffered extreme pain and discomfort due to the deprivation of this postpartum care, including severe breast engorgement, difficulty walking and excessive bleeding.”.
Another plaintiff alleged Lee repeatedly claimed he needed to do pap smears on her, but that she did not receive lab results from the appointments, prompting Lee to say there were no results available or he had no recollection of her prior appointment. For another plaintiff, the suit says: “At almost every appointment, Dr Lee required that Jane Doe 6 get an invasive exam or procedure, including a pelvic exam, pap smear, and/or biopsy. Jane Doe 6 routinely did not receive any results or follow-up treatment from these exams, thereby necessitating further invasive examinations by Dr Lee.”.
