In August of 2023, Army doctor Major Michael Stockin was accused and charged with sexually abusing at least 23 individuals, including his patients, following a year-long criminal investigation. It is now confirmed as of November 1, 2023, that more charges were added as the investigation continues, bringing the total of alleged victims to 39. This is one of the military's most prominent sexual abuse cases in years.
According to CBS News, Stockin, a 37-year-old anesthesiologist, worked at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington, since July 2019. The major was reportedly barred from seeing patients in February of 2022 when the probe into the charges began.
Allegations Against Major Michael Stockin
According to a report published in The Washington Post, in all claims, Stockin abused his position as a doctor, taking advantage of the trust inherent in the doctor-patient relationship. Charges against the doctor "include abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing" in violation of military law.
Much of the details of the alleged assaults have not been made public; however, one solider and former patient of Dr. Stockin's spoke to The Washington Post about his experience. The soldier reported that during a visit with Dr. Stockin to address lower back pain, Stockin asked the soldier to lower his pants and proceeded to touch the man's lower extremities before moving up the leg to the patient's genitals. This patient left the appointment confused, feeling that the examination was inappropriate, which he confirmed when he relayed the story to his general practitioner. He then reported Dr. Stockin to the authorities.
According to CBS News, they interviewed four of Stockin's alleged victims whose claims are included in the formal charges. All four described a similar story; they saw Dr. Stockin for pain management, and when left unchaperoned, Stockin would perform nerve sensory examinations and ask patients to drop their pants to examine their lower body and touch them inappropriately. At least two accusers have filed civil claims under the Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA) against the Army and the Department of Defense for negligence in hiring and retaining Stockin and for failing to protect them from sexual abuse.
A Pentagon report released in April found that 8,942 reports of sexual assault were made to the Defense Department in fiscal 2022, up from the previous year and following a trend of reports generally increasing year by year. The number was at 3,327 in 2010.
About Major Michael Stockin
Stockin served in the Army since 2013 and was stationed at multiple bases, including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, during his career as an anesthesiologist and pain management doctor. His most recent post was at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma in Washington since July 2019. As of February 2022, Dr. Stockin was barred by the Army from seeing patients as the investigation unfolded.
According to documents filed in Pierce County, Dr. Stockin also faced allegations of abuse in his divorce case, in which his wife sought a protective order against him, alleging verbal abuse, harassment, and unwanted sexual contact during the marriage.
Horowitz Law has filed numerous sexual misconduct claims against healthcare professionals on behalf of clients who were sexually assaulted at hospitals, private practices, sleep centers, and rehab centers. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or sexual battery while under the care of a healthcare provider, or if you know someone who has, please contact our law firm at (888) 283-9922 or send an e-mail to sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz