According to a recent complaint, a prison doctor in Oregon is accused of normalizing his sexual abuse of an inmate by talking about lunch, horses, and art while occasionally laughing in his face about the alleged assaults while his superiors looked the other way.
Now free, James Watkins claims that Dr. Leland Beamer, a physician with the Oregon Department of Corrections, the top medical officer at Jefferson County’s Deer Ridge Correctional Institution, mistreated him over several months.
Lawyers for Watkins, Alicia LeDuc Montgomery and Elisabeth Claus, claim that the abuse caused him physical pain and that he still experiences personal humiliation, fear, anxiety, and mental and emotional distress. They have sued DOC officials and employees, including Beamer and former superintendent Amber Sundquist of Deer Ridge, in federal court, alleging that he ignored complaints and lawsuits about ODOC medical staff members like Beamer who are sexually harassing or abusing adults in custody at DOC facilities.
According to the complaint, plaintiff Watkins saw Dr. Beamer for around five medical visits between November 2022 and January 2023. In further medical visits, Beamer’s behavior toward plaintiff Watkins grew more offensive and damaging.
According to the complaint, Beamer allegedly made awkward personal statements and touched Watkins’ arms and legs inappropriately while remarking on how large he was during one checkup. According to the lawsuit, Beamer attempted to influence Watkins by promising him personal favors and lunch dates in the future, when they would discuss Beamer’s horses and how he could support Watkins’ artistic endeavors.
After Beamer collapsed in the DRCI kitchen area after slipping on water, resulting in a back injury and injection treatments, Watkins started visiting him. According to his attorneys, Beamer’s alleged abuse began with routine examinations for the injections before the doctor started asking for more uncomfortable procedures and engaging in inappropriate behavior, such as open-palm slapping Watkins on his bare buttocks and performing an alleged sphincter exam that left the former prisoner feeling sexually violated.
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According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Watkins underwent a sphincter test from defendant Beamer, who reportedly laughed at the conclusion of the process.
According to the paper, defendant Beamer insisted on moving forward even though Watkins found the prospect of the exam unsettling. Defendant Beamer heard plaintiff Watkins order him to cease the examination and to cease touching the plaintiff. Plaintiff Watkins objected, but defendant Beamer did not halt the examination.
Watkins claims that following the claimed incidences, he was later diagnosed with PTSD in addition to physical suffering. He asserts that after filing grievances and appeals without success, he has used up all administrative remedies available to address the alleged mistreatment. According to his attorneys, Watkins’ only remaining choice at this point was to bring a federal lawsuit, which is consistent with what other prisoners have done recently.
LeDuc Montgomery said in a statement this week that the Oregon Department of Corrections has been on notice for years regarding its systemic issue of inmates being sexually abused and exploited by prison staff. He cited similar cases, such as the 2023 conviction of former prison nurse Tony Klein, who received a 30-year sentence for abusing female inmates.
She told Law&Crime on Thursday that although this is not an example of a male prison official raping female inmates, that is exactly why it is significant. The Oregon Department of Corrections fosters a culture and environment that encourages heinous acts like the Tony Klein case if it allows any kind of sexual assault to go unchecked. ODOC must hold anyone who engage in any kind of sexual misconduct accountable and take bodily autonomy and safety seriously.
In order to compensate for the constitutional and state law rights that were violated by [Beamer’s] misbehavior, Watkins is suing for damages, legal fees, and costs.
Law&Crime made failed attempts to contact Beamer and DOC authorities on Thursday.
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