Ten Former OYA Youth Sue Oregon for Abuse by Longtime MacLaren Doctor

Ten Former OYA Youth Sue State for Sexual Abuse by Doctor; Perpetrator, “Dr. Cold Fingers,” Worked at MacLaren for 40 Years

• • • $51 Million Suit Filed in Multnomah County
  • • Lawyers Say Hundreds of OYA Abuse Victims Are Coming Forward
  • More OYA Abuse Lawsuits Involving Other Abusers Coming Soon

March 13, 2025 Portland, Oregon –

Attorneys for 10 individuals who allege sexual abuse as children in state custody announced the filing of a $51 million lawsuit today against the State of Oregon. The suit, filed in Multnomah County, alleges sexual abuse by the same doctor (Dr. Edward “Gary” Edwards) who was employed by the Oregon Youth Authority for nearly 40 years.

The victims in the new lawsuit were abused as children after being placed into OYA custody between approximately 2000 and 2008. The victims – all males – were boys between the ages of 12 and 16 when the abuse began, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges that each boy was abused when they were isolated by Dr. Edwards for the purported purpose of medical examinations or treatment at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon. Instead of receiving legitimate examinations or treatment, the suit alleges that each boy was sexually abused by Dr. Edwards, including the doctor groping their testicles and penises without gloves, in some instances working to get them aroused and masturbating them, and in some instances penetrating their anuses with his fingers. The suit alleges the boys would seek medical care for an ailment like a sore throat, and instead Dr. Edwards would make them take down their pants and grope their genitals for multiple minutes with his ungloved hands. Many of the victims were abused on numerous occasions. Some victims allege Dr. Edwards gave them narcotics or other similar drugs to facilitate the abuse.

According to the new lawsuit, Dr. Edwards’ sexual abuse of his minor OYA patients was so notorious that he was commonly referred by both youth and some staff as “Dr. Cold Fingers.” The suit also alleges that, “rather than report Dr. Edwards or take other action to prevent his abuse of youth in their custody, MacLaren correction officers instead ignored and, in some cases, weaponized Dr. Edwards’ well-known pedophilia, threatening kids that if they did not behave, they would be sent to ‘Dr. Cold Fingers’ as punishment.” Complaint at 1. The suit also alleges that several of the victims were further subjected to additional sexual abuse by one or more of five other OYA staffers.

Dr. Edward Gary Edwards was the primary medical provider at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, an Oregon Youth Authority (OYA). According to records obtained from the State of Oregon, Dr. Edwards worked as doctor “managing the health of the youth at MacLaren since 1977.” Dr. Edwards was later named chief medical officer at MacLaren. The lawsuit further alleges that, “[i]n or around 2003, a claim for harassment was filed against Dr. Edwards, including allegations of Dr. Edwards ‘lunging’ at a nurse. Per the OYA superintendent at the time, ‘the fallout from the incident . . . has been considerable.’ Dr. Edwards remained a physician at MacLaren despite the complaint.” Complaint at paragraph 29.

MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility is a close-custody facility operated by the State’s Oregon Youth Authority for children ages twelve and older. Nearly 300 youth are detained at MacLaren at any given time.

“Our investigation indicates that this doctor was responsible for intake exams of all youth arriving at MacLaren. MacLaren houses nearly 300 youth at any given time. That means that, over his forty-year career, ‘Dr. Cold Fingers’ had opportunity to be alone with more than 10,000 youth in state custody,” said victims’ attorney Peter Janci. “Accordingly, we believe this case is just the tip of the iceberg.”

According to the Oregon Medical Board’s records, Dr. Edwards graduated from medical school at University of Tennessee in 1962. After completing an internship and residency in Memphis, Dr. Edwards obtained his Oregon Medical Board license in 1967. His specialty is listed by the Board as “pediatrics.” According to licensing records, Dr. Edwards is no longer practicing medicine. Dr. Edwards was also a named defendant in a lawsuit brought in federal court in 2015 alleging that he provided inadequate medical care to a male who allegedly “nearly died as a result of the delay and denial of proper medical care by the named defendants.” See Rains v. Dr. Edwards et. al, US District of Oregon Case No: 3:15-cv-00915-AA. According to court filings, the State’s settled its liability in that lawsuit for $250,000 in August of 2016. [Docket 46].

The lawsuit alleges that “Dr. Edwards’ abuse of boys was common knowledge amongst both the adjudicated youth and OYA staff. Older adjudicated youth warned newly-arrived boys about Dr. Edwards. MacLaren staff made jokes about Dr. Edwards abusing adjudicated youth. And corrections officers threatened to send juveniles to Dr. Edwards as punishment if they misbehaved.” Complaint at 32.

The lawsuit further alleges that multiple victims “reported Dr. Edwards to staff and counselors at MacLaren, but nothing was done. One Plaintiff reported that a fellow juvenile detainee was so negatively affected by Dr. Edwards’ abuse that he pulled out all of his eyelashes and eyebrows. Rather than address the abuse, the OYA administration transferred this juvenile detainee victim to another facility. Another Plaintiff disclosed the sexual abuse by Dr. Edwards during regular polygraph tests administered by OYA staff, 2but the staff ignored him. Others reported Dr. Edwards’ abuse to the OYA hotline, but again, nothing was done.” Complaint at 33.

“We allege and intend to prove that our ten clients in this case were knowingly subjected to child sexual abuse by adults in position of trust and authority. And we believe the evidence will show that this abuse was preventable and that other adults within OYA turned a blind eye to the abuse of these children because they were incarcerated,” said victims’ attorney Paul Galm.

The victims allege that, as a result of the abuse by Dr. Edwards, they suffered emotional distress and mental health issues, substance abuse, and feelings of shame. Multiple of the victims allege that the abuse eroded their trust in authority figures, especially doctors. For one plaintiff (known in the case as “M.B.”), “it took years after his release before [he] would visit a doctor and, even then, he would only do so if it was an emergency and only if he was treated by a female medical provider. [He] still requires a female medical provider.” Complaint at 37. Others of the victims similarly allege a loss of trust in doctors that has made obtaining treatment for their trauma symptoms more difficult.

“These children, many of whom were already traumatized, were entrusted to the custody of the State of Oregon for treatment, care and rehabilitation. Instead, they were mistreated and abused, which compounded their existing problems and only made their already difficult lives harder for them,” said victims’ attorney Paul Galm.

“We intend to prove that our clients were treated as ‘throw away kids’ and their safety and welfare were disregarded because of their past criminal infractions. But let’s be clear: all children deserve protection from abuse. The repeated sexual exploitation of helpless children in the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority is a stain on our state’s conscience,” said victims’ attorney Peter Janci.

According to the attorneys for the victims, the experience of the plaintiffs in today’s lawsuit is not unique: “Abuse of incarcerated youth is all too common. Youth adjudicated into the custody of Oregon Youth Authority are extremely vulnerable. They often have difficult homes lives and have experienced previous traumas. Their incarceration strips them of their freedoms and opportunities for self-protection. Predatory corrections staff have largely unrestricted access to them and exploit the stigma associated with their criminal infractions. After sexual abuse begins, these victims rarely speak up about what they are experiencing for fear they will be disbelieved or even punished. These youth are living inside a perfect storm of common factors that we know often leads to child sexual abuse,” said victims’ attorney Paul Galm.

This new lawsuit against OYA is part of a growing trend of lawsuits against government juvenile detention agencies. Nearly 400 individuals have sued the State of Washington for abuse of adjudicated youth. Hundreds have similarly sued in Illinois and also in the State of Maryland.

Attorneys for the victims also say that in coming months they expect to file more lawsuits on behalf of what is likely to be dozens more victims of other abusive correctional facility staff.

“In recent months we have been contacted by nearly 200 people reporting that they suffered sexual abuse as children while in juvenile detention facilities in Oregon. Today’s lawsuit is just the start of a series of lawsuit that will shine a light on a decades-long, systemic problem of abuse of adjudicated youth in Oregon,” said Janci.

The trial attorneys for the victims in today’s suit are Portland attorneys Peter Janci and Paul Galm.

Peter Janci is considered a “go-to” attorney for victims of sexual abuse in Oregon and around the United States. Between 2022 and 2025, Janci helped obtain nearly $25 million in settlements from the federal government for Native American victims of abuse by Indian Health Services pediatrician, Dr. Stanley Patrick Weber. He also helped obtain a record $3.5 million settlement for a public school sexual abuse victim in Jessica Doe v. St. Helens School District. And his work on behalf of victims’ sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America was recently featured in the ABC News/Hulu Documentary “Leave No Trace”.

For years, attorney Paul Galm has worked tirelessly to hold government institutions accountable, particularly on behalf of Oregon’s most vulnerable victims. Since 2017, Paul has helped child abuse victims and their families obtain over $15 million from the State of Oregon’s Department of Human Services for failures in DHS’ child protective and foster care services. In 2024, Paul Galm settled with the State of Oregon for a record $3.5 million on behalf of the family of a prisoner who died after his heart attack symptoms were ignored by medical providers at the Oregon State Penitentiary.

Janci and Galm are also partnering with New York based law firm, Levy Konigsberg LLP, which is working to advance the cause of sexually abused children in juvenile detention setting around the United States.

“This is a watershed moment in the fight for the protection of vulnerable children against the scourge of sexual exploitation by trusted adults. Thousands of victims around the country are lending their voices to this effort. We are proud to be leading the charge for victims of historical abuse of children within in the Oregon Youth Authority,” said victims’ attorney Peter Janci.