An Army doctor is accused of abusing “his position of trust to sexually exploit, manipulate and secretly record women under his care,” according to a lawsuit filed in Bell County, Texas, this month by a military spouse identified as “Jane Doe.”
In the 13-page lawsuit, filed on Nov. 10, the woman accuses Maj. Blaine McGraw, an OB-GYN at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, of a litany of sexual and professional misconduct, including an allegation that he filmed a breast and pelvic exam.
Andrew Cobos, the attorney who filed the Bell County claim, said Doe was not the only woman who was harmed.
“My firm currently represents 70 women who were victimized by Dr. McGraw,” he told Military Times in an email Monday, adding, “we are amending the filing to include all 70 of our clients.”
Tripler Army Medical Center on Oahu, Hawaii, confirmed in a statement Monday that it was in the process of “notifying patients who were seen by a former resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service between June 2019 and June 2023 that their provider is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Army Criminal Investigations Division.”
The medical center said the investigation began Oct. 17 at Fort Hood after a report was made to the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The Texas installation announced that a medical provider had been suspended on Oct. 17 but did not name the provider. The November statement said that “following the patient’s allegations, the provider was suspended the same day,” and added that notification letters were sent to patients.
Tripler reported sending out approximately 1,110 letters to potentially affected patients Friday.
“I know this information is incredibly upsetting to them, and we are here to provide support. We have many resources to offer, and we want to hear their concerns and help them get the medical care and other support they need,” Tripler Army Medical Center Director William Bimson said in a statement.
Neither the hospital nor the Army named the accused provider, but the Army confirmed that McGraw was assigned to Tripler from June 2019 to August 2023.
“The Army is committed to supporting patients affected by these allegations. We have swiftly established a call center, assigned a special victims counsel and are actively notifying patients. Additionally, we have created a patient support line to offer access to resources and assistance. We encourage anyone with information related to the investigation to contact the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division,” an Army spokesperson said in a statement Monday.
The Defense Health Agency announced in a statement Friday that it was launching an internal review to “ensure accountability, review systemic safeguards and rebuild the confidence of our community in the hospital.”
The agency said it was “also reviewing clinical protocols, supervision mechanisms and reporting and complaint procedures.”
While the agency did not provide specific details about the investigation, it shared a screening questionnaire for patients to contact the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
McGraw served as a physician’s assistant for the 101st Airborne Division from October 2011 to June 2015 before going to medical school through the General Medicine Health Professions Scholarship Program.
If McGraw is found liable for the misconduct, the case would be the second incident in six years of widespread litigation against Army physicians and the service over sexual abuse committed by doctors.
In January, Maj. Michael Stockin was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for sexually abusing more than three dozen patients while he practiced at Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state from 2019 to 2022, Military Times previously reported.
Stockin, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, was convicted for multiple counts of abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing of patients without their consent.
According to court documents and lawsuits filed by plaintiffs, Stockin fondled male patients under the auspices of medical exams for sexual gratification and “knowingly and wrongfully viewed the private areas” of victims.
Like McGraw, Stockin previously had served in Iraq and at Tripler.
According to the suit filed against McGraw, Doe also has taken the first steps in suing the Army under the Federal Torts Claims Act, alleging that the service knew about his misconduct. The court documents said that several victims had filed formal complaints with the Army against McGraw, yet he was allowed to continue to practice at Tripler and later at Darnall.
“The Army’s response has been bureaucratic, callous and wholly inadequate,” the lawsuit stated.
Fort Hood and the Army Criminal Investigative Division did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.
Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues.
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