Eighty-one women have now joined a civil lawsuit in Texas accusing a US Army gynecologist at Fort Hood of sexual misconduct during medical exams, as the army faces growing scrutiny over patient safety and internal oversight.
Newsmax reported Friday that the expanded complaint, filed in Bell County, alleges Maj. Blaine McGraw covertly recorded patients, engaged in inappropriate touching, and conducted intrusive, unnecessary exams while serving at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.
The civil case runs alongside an ongoing criminal prosecution, in which army prosecutors have charged McGraw with more than 50 specifications of "indecent visual recording" involving dozens of alleged victims, according to army officials.
Army leadership has acknowledged the gravity of the allegations. Undersecretary of the Army Mike Obadal and Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Mary Izaguirre recently visited the Fort Hood facility to review Defense Health Agency policies.
"Our ethical and moral imperative is to ensure deployment-ready forces while providing a safe and professional environment for all patients," Obadal said.
"I'm proud of our leaders and medical providers for the swift action taken to initiate the criminal investigation and prioritize patient safety — all of which reflects their unwavering commitment to patient care and army readiness."
A US official, speaking anonymously, said Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has been monitoring the case "very, very closely" and ordered a fact-finding mission to assess conditions "on the ground."
"It goes without saying that the allegations are abhorrent, absolutely counter to the values the army and the military try to uphold," the official added.
McGraw, 47, has been held in pretrial confinement at the Bell County Jail since early December. Army officials say he was removed from patient care in October, within hours of the first complaint. Defense attorneys have not publicly responded to the expanded lawsuit.
