Latest news with #OregonYouthAuthority
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Additional 10 men allege sexual abuse from former Oregon Youth Authority doctor
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An additional 10 men are alleging that they were sexually abused by a former Oregon Youth Authority doctor, according to a new lawsuit. All 10 allege they were abused as children while in custody of the state by Dr. Gary Edwards, also known as 'Dr. Cold Fingers.' The abuse started in 2000 and continued through 2008, the suit says. This comes less than two months after a separate sexual abuse lawsuit was filed against OYA, which led to the firing of director Joe O'Leary. Edwards served as the primary medical provider at Maclaren from 1977 until at least 2008, and attorneys say he had private access to thousands of children during this time. 'This doctor was in charge of intake exams at MacLaren, which means that he had a reason to be alone with every single child that came through MacLaren during those 40+ years of service,' attorney Peter Janci said. 'And at nearly 300 youth housed there at any given time, by 40 years, that means this doctor had an opportunity to abuse more than 10,000 children in Oregon custody.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Multnomah County saw slight population growth in 2024, Census Bureau says
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Although estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau point to population growth in most metro areas, numbers indicate the increase in Multnomah County residents was rather small. , the federal data collection agency's latest estimates show there were 795,897 people living in the county as of July 1, 2024. This represents a 0.2% rise from the same date in 2023, when experts recorded 794,271 residents. 'Dr. Cold Fingers': Oregon Youth Authority staffer accused of sexually abusing boys in custody Even with the slight increase, Oregon's largest county — population-wise — has yet to reach the numbers seen in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates show there were 816,321 Multnomah County residents in April 2020. However, the numbers indicate population growth has been faster in the region as a whole. The Portland metro area, which the Census Bureau defines as Portland, Hillsboro and Vancouver, had 2,537,901 residents as of July 2024. In 2023, there were an estimated 2,521,668 people living in the Portland area — a 0.35% increase from the April 2020 estimates. Experts have suspected that international migration is driving population growth in many cities. Hundreds of starving wild horses rescued in Eastern Oregon 'While births continue to contribute to overall growth, rising net international migration is offsetting the ongoing net domestic outmigration we see in many of these areas,' Census Bureau Population Division Demographer Kristie Wilder noted in a statement. According to the bureau, 90% of U.S. metro areas grew in population from 2023 to 2024. Data collectors reported that 65.3% of counties grew as well. The agency listed Georgia's Dawson and Jackson counties, Texas' Kaufman County, South Carolina's Jasper County and Arizona's Pinal Counties as the counties with the highest year-over-year growth — percentage-wise. Federal judge rules Trump must reinstate many fired federal employees Mississippi's Yazoo and Sunflower counties, Georgia's Mitchell County, Oregon's Curry County and Alabama's Dallas County saw the steepest percent declines. The bureau is expected to release 2024 estimates for cities and towns in just a few months. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Dr. Cold Fingers': Oregon Youth Authority staffer accused of sexually abusing boys in custody
Editor's Note: This story shares details of child sex abuse that may be disturbing for readers. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Oregon Youth Authority is set to face a major lawsuit regarding the sexual abuse of at least 10 boys in juvenile detention, according to attorneys. The victims, now men, claim they were sexually abused as children while they were in custody of the State of Oregon at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. Their representatives claim the children — between the ages of 12 and 16 — were treated as 'throwaway kids.' Tigard Tesla dealership shot for second time in a week Attorneys Peter Janci of Crew Janci LLP and Paul Galm of Galm Law say the case involves a specific OYA staffer known as Dr. Edwards 'Gary' Edwards. 'His abuse of boys at MacLaren was so prolific that he was known amongst boys and staff as Dr. Cold Fingers,' Janci said. Edwards served as the primary medical provider at Maclaren from 1977 until at least 2008, and attorneys say he had private access to thousands of children during this time. 'This doctor was in charge of intake exams at MacLaren, which means that he had a reason to be alone with every single child that came through MacLaren during those 40+ years of service,' Janci said. 'And at nearly 300 youth housed there at any given time, by 40 years, that means this doctor had an opportunity to abuse more than 10,000 children in Oregon custody.' According to the lawsuit, victims had reported their concerns about Edwards to other staffers and through the OYA abuse hotline. However, victims claim the staffers who had received those reports allegedly ignored them. 'Worse than that, we allege in this lawsuit that at times, the MacLaren staff weaponized Dr. Edwards' abuse of youth, and by that we mean when one of our client's behavior wasn't to the staff's liking, they would threaten them that, 'Hey if you don't get in line, we're going to send you to see Dr. Cold Fingers,'' Janci said. Attorneys also shared that the victims would seek treatment from Dr. Edwards and instead be sexually abused. One example shared by Janci involved a victim going to the staffer for a sore throat. 'For his sore throat, he had his genitals fondled by Dr. Edwards for minutes with ungloved hands,' Janci said, adding that other victims reported similar experiences along with instances of ungloved masturbation and anal penetration with fingers. Oregon gun reform advocates 'rejoicing' but not slowing down after Measure 114 ruling The lawsuit claims that these children have grown up to avoid the doctor's office, refuse to see a doctor who isn't female, and put off treatment. Galm shares that these responses come from a long-term trauma of sexual abuse while being in a correctional facility where they are stripped of their rights and do not have an authority figure to turn to. 'The worst part of it, too, is these kids are abused by staff and then they think to themselves that they can't really tell anybody, because nobody is going to believe them,' Galm said. Both attorneys believe Edwards, who died in February 2025, may have had other victims during his time at MacLaren. In a press release, OYA shared that it has made recent improvements to its Professional Standards Office to 'ensure youth reporting and investigation processes remain accessible, transparent, and thorough.' The improvements follow a review made in January 2025 that identified concerns about how investigations within OYA have been conducted as well as the number of cases that are open or suspended. According to OYA, the Professional Standards Office reported the following numbers as of March 2025: 534 reports from 2018 to October 2024 require a deeper review ('open' or 'suspended') 165 reports since October 2024 also remain 'open' or 'suspended' 4,105 cases were closed by investigators between 2018 and the end of 2024. These cases then undergo a final review and sign-off by our chief investigator, and they have signed off on 724 since Jan. 21, 2025. 'Oregonians need OYA to have grievance and investigation processes that are accessible, transparent, and thorough,' Acting Director Jana McLellan said. 'These elements are necessary to ensure youth and staff safety. We have work ahead of us, but I'm confident we're doing what we need to do to ensure trust in our systems.' Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Is your student up-to-date on Oregon vaccinations?
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Students in Oregon need to be up-to-date on vaccinations by this coming Wednesday or else they won't be able to attend school, according to state law. Parents need to have their child immunized by Feb. 19 or their child will be excluded from school if their records show they are missing immunizations. Oregon Youth Authority director placed on leave amid 'backlog' of complaints Oregon law also states all children in public and private schools, preschools, Head Start and certified child care facilities must have current immunization documentation or have an exemption by the Exclusion are several free vaccination clinics across the Portland metro to help give parents the chance to get their child vaccinated before Wednesday. One of those, at David Douglas High School, brought a number of parents and their children into County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno told KOIN 6 News these vaccines help keep kids safe from all the communicable diseases going around right now, including flu and pertussis. 'In schools, kids can be exposed to multiple kinds of viruses and bacteria that can cause them to get sick or ill. When we make sure people are caught up on their vaccines, that means they're protected, they have extra seat belts on to protect them from whatever kinds of viruses or bacteria may come their way, or spreading them among their friends, schoolmates or teachers. Bruno said they sent out 'about 500 less reminder letters this year, so I think more people are getting on board, more folks are getting on board in their regular primary care visits.' He added they can see and take care of anyone between the ages of 5-19 without insurance or ID. There are more free vaccination clinics over the next few days, including a Care Oregon clinic from 8-11 a.m. Wednesday at the Boys and Girls Club Rockwood. In Washington County, there are clinics planned for Tuesday and Wednesday at Merlo Station High School in Beaverton. There will also be clinics held at Tualatin High School on Tuesday and Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
