An Atlanta federal inmate is seeking $2.5 million from the U.S. Prison Bureau in a lawsuit claiming that a prison doctor raped him.
The civil complaint, which was filed Thursday in federal court, also blames the agency for failing to adequately vet the doctor and hiring him after allegations of inmate sexual abuse at a Washington, D.C., prison surfaced.
It is the second suit filed in less than a month involving Dr. Lewis Jackson, who pleaded guilty in November 2012 to sexually assaulting three inmates in 2011 and 2012 in his capacity as an employee of the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta. Howard Brons recently filed a $1 million suit in which he made similar claims against the doctor, who was sentenced in 2013 to two years in prison.
The federal inmate in the latest suit, identified as "James Doe," is "one of the people the doctor has pleaded guilty to doing this to," attorney Craig N. Cowart told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
According to the lawsuit, "James Doe" was allegedly attacked at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta in September 2011.
"Dr. Jackson used force and threats of adverse official action, including threatening to subject plaintiff to punishment and to affect plaintiff's discharge day by official action, to compel the plaintiff to acquiesce him in his rape and to the other abuse," according to the lawsuit.
Jackson, the lawsuit contends, also offered contraband for some inmates in exchange for sexual favors.
The lawsuit points the finger at Prison Bureau staff that hired Jackson and those who worked with him.
"Prior to the rape of plaintiff ... there were other inmates at the Atlanta Penitentiary that were sexually assaulted, battered, and raped by Dr. Jackson," according to the lawsuit. "Dr. Jackson also handled inmates' genitals without gloves and did unnecessary examinations on inmates. Officers, employees, and persons acting on behalf of defendant at the Atlanta Penitentiary were aware of these allegations of sexual assault, battery, and rape, and were aware of the allegations of inappropriate medical care."
Cowart suggested that a deeper probe of his client's incident is needed.
"It's a question about who knew things and should've put a stop to doing this to my client," he said.
The lawsuit said "James Doe" has suffered mental, physical, and emotional stress as a result of the sexual assault, causing among other things post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, anxiety attacks and creating questions about his sexuality.
"Further, plaintiff lives in constant fear of retaliation by inmates who were receiving contraband from Dr. Jackson for sexual favors, but have now lost their source of contraband," the lawsuit said.
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