Army gynecologist took secret videos of patients during intimate exams, lawsuit says

Daniel Conway, McGraw’s lawyer, said in a statement that the doctor had “fully cooperated with the investigation.”

“We have expressed concern to the government that plaintiffs’ attorneys are holding press conferences citing inaccurate information apparently obtained from government sources,” Conway added. “At this stage, it is best to allow the investigation to complete before commenting.”

The Army referred to the statement issued by Fort Hood, which was posted on its website on October 28.

It says the CID launched an investigation “hours after a patient made allegations against this former medical provider.” Fort Hood officials contact all of the doctor’s patients and provide them with a dedicated call center number to answer any questions, the release added.

In a subsequent statement provided to NBC News after this article was published, Fort Hood said the doctor was suspended on Oct. 17, the same day he learned of a patient’s allegations, and that “leadership met with the patient personally.”

“In addition to the Army CID criminal investigation, several additional investigations are underway to examine all facets of the problem, including systems, clinical processes, policies and other areas,” the statement added. “These investigations aim to ensure that current rigorous standards have been met.”

Cobos said he also plans to file a federal lawsuit against the military.

“Major Blaine McGraw used his uniform and position as a military doctor to prey on the very women who trusted him with their care,” Cobos said in a statement. “The military received repeated warnings and still chose to protect its reputation over the safety of its service members, their wives and daughters. »

This is not the first time the Army or Fort Hood officials have been accused of ignoring or downplaying reports of sexual harassment or misconduct.

One of the most high-profile recent cases involved an Army specialist based at Fort Hood named Vanessa Guillén. After she was killed by a comrade in 2020, an Army report found that the 20-year-old soldier was sexually harassed by a supervisor, but unit leadership took no action.

Previous complaints

Before he began practicing at the Texas base, McGraw treated patients at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii starting in 2019, according to the lawsuit. One of his patients filed a lawsuit alleging he secretly recorded her pelvic exam on her cellphone, according to the lawsuit.

“Rather than investigate or remove him from patient care, McGraw’s chain of command dismissed the complaint, made fun of it, and allowed him to continue practicing medicine,” the lawsuit states.

He accuses McGraw of preying on his patients in various ways. In one case, McGraw induced a pregnant patient to go into labor “against her will,” the lawsuit says. In another, he told a patient during an exam that her “vagina looked nice,” touched her sexual organs without a medical reason and made sexual remarks, according to the lawsuit. He referred to this patient’s clitoris, for example, as her “happy place,” according to the lawsuit.

The allegations represent “the tip of the iceberg in a growing scandal that has left dozens of military wives and daughters raped, voiceless and searching for answers,” the lawsuit says.

Before meeting with CID investigators, the serviceman’s wife testified in her lawsuit that she was seen by McGraw approximately seven to eight times. She went to Carl R. Darnall Military Medical Center, where he practiced, for treatment of pelvic pain, hormonal irregularities and concerns about uterine health, the lawsuit says.

After a procedure performed under sedation, McGraw made a comment that he had seen all of her tattoos, which existed on parts of her body that he had no reason to look at, according to the lawsuit. In another instance, McGraw made an inappropriate comment to her during what should have been a routine breast exam, according to the lawsuit:

“Your surgeon did an excellent job: your breasts look great! he said, according to the lawsuit.