Gynecologist Under Criminal Investigation for Allegedly Secretly Filming Patients During Examinations By Madison E. Goldberg

A gynecologist who worked at army hospitals in Hawaii and Texas is now suspended and under criminal investigation for allegedly filming and photographing patients during examinations.

Dr. Blaine McGraw is accused of having touched patients inappropriately and filmed and photographed them during exams. The Army’s Criminal Investigation Division launched their investigation “within hours” of his suspension on Oct. 17, according to a statement.

“Fort Hood and CRDAMC are committed to providing world-class care to our Soldiers, Families, and beneficiaries, with patient safety and trust as the cornerstone of our mission,” the U.S. Army wrote in the statement.

The Cobos Law Firm, based in Austin, is representing 50 of the alleged victims. The lawsuit was filed in Bell County District Court on Nov. 10, and alleges the U.S. Army covered up McGraw’s alleged abuse. The firm is representing a Jane Doe who is identified only as a military spouse.

“The Army knew,” the lawsuit reviewed by PEOPLE reads. “Complaints had been made about Defendant McGraw—at Fort Hood, and years earlier at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii—yet leadership dismissed the warnings, laughed off credible allegations, and allowed McGraw to continue practicing. By doing so, the Army gave cover to a predator in uniform.”

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One victim alleged that McGraw placed his phone in his shirt’s breast pocket with the camera placing forward after pretending to take a call from a nurse, according to the lawsuit.

PEOPLE has reached out to Cobos Law Firm for comment on the suit.

National Trial Law, also based in Texas, says that it is also representing a separate group of several victims. In a statement on Nov. 5, the firm wrote, “National Trial Law has been retained by victims of an Army OB-GYN doctor at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas, and intends to file claims against the United States Government under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).”

“The allegations involve one of the most egregious violations of medical trust imaginable: non-consensual videotaping and photographing of patients during intimate medical examinations, coupled with improper sexual touching during OB-GYN procedures,” National Trial Law’s statement continued.

National Trial Law then listed the allegations against McGraw: “The alleged misconduct extends beyond unauthorized recordings to include improper touching of patients’ breasts and genitalia in a non-medical manner, recommending unnecessary breast examinations solely to expose and grope patients, and conducting examinations without required nursing staff present in violation of Army medical protocols.”

McGraw worked at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii from June 2019 to June 2023, NBC News reports. He most recently practiced medicine on the Fort Hood, Texas military base at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, from which he was reportedly suspended in October.

A source connected with the case told NBC News that the first round of letters to patients that were believed to be examined by McGraw were sent on Friday, Nov. 21. The source told the outlet that up to 1,500 people could have been filmed and have been notified.

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While McGraw remains under criminal investigation, no charges have been filed against him at this time. “Our patients’ health remains our absolute top priority,” Col. William Bimson, director of Tripler Army Medical Center, said in a statement, per the outlet. “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.”

A myriad of former patients have alleged abuse, the Austin-American Statesman reports. McGraw completed his medical residency at Tripler Army Medical Center after initially joining the Army in 2007 as a rifle platoon leader in Fort Campbell, Ky., according to the Statesman.

The investigation remains ongoing.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.