JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — Attorneys have filed new federal complaints against the Army on behalf of 20 additional John Does who were sexually abused by Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) doctor Michael Stockin.
In January, Stockin was sentenced to over 13 years in prison for sexually abusing over three dozen patients in the span of several years.
The complaints filed on March 3 allege that the Army is liable for Stockin’s actions under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) because it was negligent in hiring, supervising, and retaining Stockin. The complaints also allege that the Army lacked protocols to keep patients and visitors safe from sexual abuse.
“Dr. Stockin has been sentenced for his criminal conduct. But now the focus must turn to holding the Army accountable for its role in allowing this rampant abuse to persist,” said attorney Christine Dunn. “The number of victims we represent has nearly doubled in the last two months alone. There is no doubt that this is one of the biggest sexual assault scandals ever faced by the military. There will be no justice for my clients – and the many other victims out there – until the Army takes responsibility for what happened to these men.”
The complaint also alleges that the military knew of Stockin’s abuse but continued to allow him to practice.
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The Army launched an investigation into Stockin in 2022 after receiving multiple complaints, according to Michelle McCaskill, a spokesperson with the U.S. Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. He was suspended from patient care and was given administrative duties. He was formally charged in August 2023 with 23 counts of abusive sexual contact. In January 2024, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel referred 52 charges and specifications, stemming from allegations by 41 male patients he treated between 2019 and 2022.
Following Stockin’s sentencing, the firm representing the victims said their office became “inundated with calls” from additional victims who were looking to hold the Army accountable.
“Had the Army better screened Dr. Stockin when hiring him, or better supervised his patient interaction, Dr. Stockin would not have been in a position to sexually abuse me and other patients. The fact that Dr. Stockin was able to sexually abuse over 100 patients, and potentially many more, is evidence that the Army was negligent in its supervision of Dr. Stockin. Furthermore, the Army negligently allowed Dr. Stockin to continue seeing patients even after the Army publicly claims to have received complaints about Dr. Stockin in February 2022. Furthermore, the Army negligently failed to put in place or enforce policies and procedures to minimize the risk of sexual assault of patients. Dr. Stockin was allowed to examine patients without a chaperone present,” said victims in a joint suit statement.
These latest filings now make 42 FTCA complaints against Stockin and the Army. Initial filings encompassed 22 John Does.
KIRO 7 has reached out to JBLM for a response to the filings and is waiting to hear back.
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