New lawsuit details decades of unchecked sexual abuse by OYA physician “Dr. Cold Fingers” and systemic failures to protect youth in custody.

PORTLAND — Fourteen more men have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, alleging that the Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) knowingly allowed a longtime physician at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility to sexually abuse boys and young men in its custody for decades.

Represented by Schroeter Goldmark & Bender and Levi Merrithew Horst PC, this new complaint adds to the growing number of men who have come forward this year, including six that filed a lawsuit in October. Each describes a pattern of sexual abuse by Dr. Edward Gary Edwards and years of institutional indifference that enabled Edwards’ behavior to continue unchecked.

The plaintiffs describe being subjected to invasive, medically unnecessary, often gloveless genital and anal “exams” by Edwards, while many of the men were shackled and without a chaperone present. One plaintiff recalls Edwards threatening to withhold necessary medication if they did not comply with his “exam.”

According to the complaint, Edwards was the primary and often only full-time physician at MacLaren for decades. Among both staff and youth, he was widely known as “Dr. Cold Fingers” – a nickname the lawsuit says reflected his pattern of ungloved genital touching, digital anal penetration, and other sexualized acts disguised as medical treatment. Plaintiffs report that OYA staff made jokes about Edwards and routinely dismissed or ignored complaints when detainees voiced concern.

Despite repeated grievances and widespread awareness among staff, the complaint alleges that OYA leadership – including more than a dozen directors and former MacLaren superintendents – failed to investigate, report, or even take minimal steps to mitigate the situation. Instead, the suit claims successive administrations promoted Edwards, reinforced his authority, and failed to implement or enforce basic protections, including federal PREA standards designed to reduce sexual abuse in correctional facilities. 

Largely, the plaintiffs say they did not understand they had been abused until March 2025, when extensive media reporting and investigative findings revealed OYA’s longstanding knowledge of allegations against Edwards and widespread internal failures to protect youth in custody.

“This lawsuit shows what happens when warnings are ignored for decades,” said Benjamin Gauen, attorney with Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. “Youth reported harm. Staff joked about it. Leadership looked away. For more than 40 years, OYA allowed a physician to exploit vulnerable boys and young men, even as complaints mounted in plain sight.”

Norah Van Dusen, attorney with Levi Merrithew Horst PC, added: 

“Each of these men was a child or a young adult in state custody – not by choice, but because the state put them there. OYA had a duty to protect them. Instead, they protected a doctor whose behavior was an open secret. These survivors are coming forward now because the truth has finally come to light.” 

The lawsuit alleges 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 or Levi Merrithew Horst. Your story matters. 

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