Amended Lawsuit Filed Against California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Behalf of Unwitting Victims of Unnecessary Rectal and Vaginal Exams

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented case of sexual assault, gender violence, battery, and reckless misconduct, a mass action filed on September 3, 2020 on behalf more than 180 correctional officers (both men and women) has been amended to include two additional causes of action, include new factual allegations and expand the depth and breadth of the wrongful conduct.

While the amended complaint includes 187 officers, attorneys from J. Wright Law Group P.C., Harrison Kristopher, LLP and Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos announced they now represent roughly 500 individuals who allege they were the victims of severe sexual misconduct by health care providers who were contracted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Hundreds more corrections officers in Northern and Central California contacted the firm after the initial lawsuit was filed.

As a condition of their hiring, the men and women applying in to work with the CDCR and other state agencies were mandated to undergo physical examinations that included unnecessary vaginal exams on female applicants and rectal exams on all of the named plaintiffs.

Male applicants, they were subjected to anal/rectal exams which included anal penetration. These men were all healthy and under the age of 50 so prostate exams were absolutely not necessary for any medical reason. The female plaintiffs were subjected to rectal exams as well as vaginal penetration and visual vaginal exams to supposedly identify their gender. Making matters worse, some of the plaintiffs were subjected to these exams more than once.

The lead plaintiff, Jane Doe 1, is now a peace officer and was not made aware until this year that these "tests" were totally unnecessary. Attorneys for the plaintiffs believe that due to the scope and time frame of these actions, there are potentially thousands of other victims in addition named in the amended complaint.

"These men and women were applying for jobs to start their careers, feed their families and build their future. Instead, these predators were empowered by the CDCR to perform multiple acts of sexual violence against them knowing the power they had over the victims career prospects," said Jamie Wright of J. Wright Law Group P.C. who along with Bryan J. Harrison of Harrison Kristopher, LLP. and Mike Arias of Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos are co-counsel for the plaintiffs. 

This is a horrid case of state-authorized sexual assault and battery on a scale I don't think we've ever seen before," said co-counsel Mike Arias.  "The scope and extent of these abhorrent actions is still being uncovered," Arias added.

The case is Jane Does 1-152 vs California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sacramento Medical Center, Sacramento Family Medicine, Sacramento Occupational Medicine, Dr. Gilbert Simon, Godwin I. Okungbowa and Human Performance Institute, Case No. 34-2020-00284979, Sacramento Superior Court.

About Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos, LLP
ASWT is a Trial Law Firm with offices in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Las Vegas and Montreal, ASWT specializes in complex litigation in state and federal courts throughout the United States. The firm represents plaintiffs in sexual assault and harassment, serious personal injury, employment, and litigates  mass and class actions on behalf of consumers and employees, and businesses with insurance bad faith-business interruption claims.  To learn more about us, go to: https://aswtlawyers.com/.

About J. Wright Law Group
As an attorney with over 10 years of experience working on labor negotiations and arbitrations, ADA disputes, civil rights, negligence, breach of contract, premises liability and other matters, I will help you with your case.

About Harrison | Kristopher
The attorneys at Harrison | Kristopher have made it their mission to fight for you so that you can recover by obtaining quality medical care free of charge and ultimately by winning a significant financial award.

Contact: Joe Marchelewski, 310-462-2252, [email protected]

SOURCE Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Torrijos