Lawsuit claims OYA knowingly enabled physician’s sexual abuse of hundreds of boys at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility

PORTLAND - A new lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon by six men accuses the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) of enabling and covering up the sexual abuse of youth in its custody for more than four decades. The filing adds to a growing number of men who have come forward this year with similar allegations of abuse and institutional negligence.

Representing the survivors are Schroeter Goldmark & Bender of Seattle and Levi Merrithew Horst PC of Portland. The complaint alleges that Dr. Edward Gary Edwards, a longtime physician at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon, sexually assaulted hundreds of incarcerated boys under the guise of medical care between the late 1970s and 2017.

According to the lawsuit, Edwards – nicknamed by both staff and youth as “Dr. Cold Fingers” – regularly performed invasive and medically unnecessary genital and anal “exams” on minors as young as 13, often without gloves or chaperones present. The suit claims OYA administrators, including former directors and superintendents, ignored repeated complaints and failed to investigate despite widespread awareness of Edwards’ conduct. Moreover, plaintiffs recall staff members’ ongoing jokes about Edwards’ abuse, even weaponizing the medical visits by threatening to send youth to “Dr. Cold Fingers” for disobeying staff orders.

The plaintiffs were minors when the abuse occurred. Each alleges that OYA’s inaction and the culture of silence at MacLaren led them to believe Edwards’ conduct was legitimate medical care. It wasn’t until March 2025, when widespread media reports exposed OYA’s alleged coverups, that many victims realized the abuse they endured was part of a larger pattern.

“Dr. Edwards’ abuse was not a secret; it was an open wound that OYA refused to treat,” said Benjamin Gauen, attorney with Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. “For decades, officials joked about ‘Dr. Cold Fingers’ while boys were being violated behind closed doors. This lawsuit seeks to hold OYA accountable for choosing institutional protection over the safety of vulnerable children in their custody.”

Norah Van Dusen, attorney with Levi Merrithew Horst PC, added, “This case isn’t just about one doctor; it’s about a system that chose silence over protection. The people in charge had every opportunity to intervene and didn’t. These survivors are demanding accountability not just for what was done to them, but for the decades of coverups that followed.”

The lawsuit names OYA, nine current and former officials, and 15 unknown staff members, alleging violations of the plaintiffs’ civil rights under 42 U.S.C. §1983, sexual battery of a child, and negligence under the Oregon Tort Claims Act.

If you or someone you know has information about Dr. Edward Gary Edwards or the Oregon Youth Authority, please contact Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. Your story matters.

To learn more about the firms’ work representing survivors of institutional abuse and discrimination, visit www.oyajustice.com.