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New civil complaints filed against the Army amid doctor’s sexual assault case

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Four accusers of a military doctor at the center of a massive sexual abuse prosecution say they were “severely and irreparably harmed” by the Army and the Defense Department whose negligence failed to protect them from abuse, according to new federal civil complaints filed Tuesday.

The physician, Maj. Michael Stockin, is facing charges from Army prosecutors who allege the misconduct occurred under the guise of treatment, based on accusations from 41 male patients. The charges include 47 counts of abusive sexual contact and five counts of indecent viewing under the military code of justice, according to the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, which is prosecuting the case. 

CBS News has spoken with five accusers who each described a similar pattern. During appointments at the center’s pain management clinic, Stockin, when left alone with patients, would instruct them to undress, and proceed to examine their lower body and touch them inappropriately, according to the alleged victims. 

While the criminal case plays out, the Army is also contending with civil complaints like these brought by accusers who filed under the Federal Torts Claims Act, which allows individuals to bring claims against federal agencies for wrongs allegedly committed by personnel of that agency. The four new claims, reviewed by CBS News, are the first step toward filing a lawsuit for monetary damages. 

“A sexual abuse scandal of this magnitude could only happen if the Army was negligent,” said an attorney representing the accusers, Christine Dunn, in a statement. 

Dunn represents eleven former patients, including the four who filed Tuesday, who are seeking $5 million in damages for what they say was the Army’s negligence in “hiring, supervising, and retaining Dr. Stockin, and negligently failing to institute adequate policies and procedures to reasonably ensure [their] safety.” 

Seven other complaints she previously filed with her colleagues at the law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp are now under investigation by the Army, according to Dunn.

In each of the four new complaints, the former patients, two of whom are still active duty service members, say they are “traumatized” by their experience with Stockin.

“The examination felt wrong to me, and I felt violated and embarrassed. It did not seem to me that Dr. Stockin had a valid medical reason for touching my penis,” one of the unidentified former patients claimed. 

Only one of the four former patients has had their accusations included in the Army’s criminal case according to Dunn, illuminating advocates’ concern that there may be more potential victims out there.

“The massive number of patients who allege they were sexually abused by Dr. Stockin is shocking,” Dunn said. “I continue to get calls from victims with remarkably similar stories about how they were sexually violated by Dr. Stockin.”

In another complaint reviewed by CBS News, a former patient who was seeking treatment for back pain claimed Stockin abused him about a half a dozen times.

“This experience has caused me pain and suffering,” he added. “I feel like less of a man. I have overwhelming feelings of fear and shame. I no longer feel comfortable with male doctors. I question my sexuality as a man.”

Another former patient who sought treatment for back pain and migraines  alleges he was abused by Stockin on two occasions and told several people about what happened, including a nurse’s aide, his sergeant major, and other medical professionals, according to the claim. However, no formal complaints were ever filed, according to Dunn.

Stockin, an anesthesiologist working at the pain management clinic at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington state, has been suspended from patient care since the Army began investigating the alleged conduct. 

Under current law, servicemembers injured while on active duty are unable to sue the military. However, a 2022 ruling in the 9th Circuit opened the door for survivors after the court found that sexual assault was not “incident to military service.”

The Army has six months to review the claims. Dunn has not heard back on the seven other claims she has previously filed on behalf of Stockin’s accusers. An Army spokesperson declined to comment.

Stockin has not yet entered a plea in his criminal case but has previously maintained his innocence through his attorneys. While his lawyer did not immediately return request for comment, Robert Capovilla, an attorney for Stockin, has previously urged the public to withhold judgment until the case is heard, saying, “We intend to fight against every single allegation until the jury renders their verdict.”

After Stockin’s first appearance in court last month, prosecutors said that they dropped a count of abusive sexual contact “after ongoing review of the evidence.”

Dunn added, “My clients hope that Dr. Stockin is held accountable in the criminal proceedings. But it is equally important that the Army be held accountable for allowing this harm to occur and to ensure that this never happens again.”



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Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier as Hezbollah fires at least 185 rockets at Israel

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Hezbollah fired at least 185 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in the militant group’s heaviest barrage in several days, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the war.

Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center killed one soldier and wounded 18 others on the southwestern coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon’s military said. Israel’s military expressed regret and said the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah, adding that its operations are directed solely against the militants. The strike was under review.

Lebanon Israel
Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit central Beirut, Lebanon, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.

Hussein Malla / AP


Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon’s military has largely kept to the sidelines.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned it as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war.

“(Israel is) again writing in Lebanese blood a brazen rejection of the solution that is being discussed,” a statement from his office read.

The strike occurred in southwestern Lebanon on the coastal road between Tyre and Naqoura, where there has been heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups.

Israel has launched retaliatory airstrikes since the rocket fire began, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war, as Israel launched waves of airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several of his top commanders.

Hezbollah fired a total of around 160 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, some of which were intercepted, the Israeli military said.

Israel Lebanon
Israeli police bomb squad inspect the site after a missile fired from Lebanon hit the area in Petah Tikva, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday Nov. 24, 2024.

Oded Balilty / AP


Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it was treating two people in the central city of Petah Tikva, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast and a 70-year-old woman suffering from smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire. The first responders said they treated three other people in northern Israel, closer to the border, including a 60-year-old man in serious condition.

It was unclear whether the injuries and damage were caused by the rockets or interceptors.

Israeli airstrikes early Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 20 people and wounding 66, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population.

On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardments in northern Israel and in battle following Israel’s ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country’s north.

The Biden administration has spent months trying to broker a cease-fire, and U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was back in the region last week.


U.S. envoy says there is “real opportunity” to end fighting between Israel, Hezbollah

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The European Union’s top diplomat called for more pressure on both Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal, saying one was “pending with a final agreement from the Israeli government.”

Josep Borrell spoke Sunday after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the group.

Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate 200 million euros ($208m) to assist the Lebanese military, which would deploy additional forces to the south.

The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol the area, with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers.

Lebanon’s army reflects the religious diversity of the country and is respected as a national institution, but it does not have the military capability to impose its will on Hezbollah or resist Israel’s invasion.



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Sen. Rand Paul says he “will not support” use of military in Trump’s planned deportations

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Sen. Rand Paul says he “will not support” use of military in Trump’s planned deportations – CBS News


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Republican Sen. Rand Pual of Kentucky tells “Face the Nation” that while he supports President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportation, but through the “normal process of domestic policing.” “I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities,” Paul said.

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Transcript: Rep.-elect Sarah McBride on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 24, 2024

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The following is a transcript of an interview with Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, Democrat of Delaware, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Nov. 24, 2024.


MARGARET BRENNAN: The 2024 election was historic for several reasons. Among them, the first openly transgender person was elected to the United States Congress. She joins us now from the state she will be representing, Delaware. Democratic Representative-elect Sarah McBride. Welcome to Face the Nation.

REP.-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: Thank you for having me, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, it’s interesting, given how polarized, how angry and divided this country is that people choose to serve and to run. You told my colleague Scott MacFarlane that it was your personal experience as a caregiver for your husband during his bout with terminal cancer that inspired you to run. Do you expect that health care policy will be the focus of your work here?

: Well, I certainly am glad to be back here in Delaware after two weeks of orientation and to have the privilege of serving this state that I love in Congress. I ran to bring down costs facing workers, retirees and their families. That means bringing down the cost of health care, but also housing and child care and everyday expenses like gas and groceries. I did run for office after my experience as a caregiver to my husband, Andy, during his battle with cancer. And throughout that experience, while Andy ultimately lost his life, we both knew how lucky we were. We knew how lucky Andy was to have health insurance that would allow him to get care that would hopefully save his life. And we both knew how lucky we were to have flexibility with our employers. That allowed Andy to focus on the full time job of getting care, and me to focus on the full time job of being there by his side to care for him, to love him, to marry him, and to walk him to his passing. And I ran for office because I do not believe that in the wealthiest, most developed nation on earth, that that time and that ability to get care should be a matter of luck. I believe it should be the law of the land. And it’s why during my time in the Delaware General Assembly, I passed paid family and medical leave and secured the largest investment in our state’s Medicaid program. And I want to do that work in Congress on health care, but also on housing and child care. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: Paid leave is something that Mr. Trump has paid lip service to, we’ll see in the new Congress if it comes up. We see in our CBS polling that 86% of voters feel congressional Democrats should find common ground with Mr. Trump and Republicans. Do you feel you can?

: Well, I said throughout this campaign that I will work with anyone who’s willing to work with me to help Delawareans, to lower costs facing my constituents. There are opportunities for us to find common ground. But it’s also clear that this administration, as it begins to fill its appointments with Project 2025 authors, that a lot of the policies that this president will pursue will likely hurt my constituents and raise prices. And so where I need to fight back, I will. But where I can find common ground, I will certainly seek it. That’s what I’ve done during my time in the General Assembly, where nearly every bill I passed passed with bipartisan support. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: As you mentioned, you were here for orientation. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was asked about you coming to work and some objections by a female South Carolina Republican representative regarding what bathroom you’d be able to use. Here’s what the speaker said.

SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON (ON TAPE): A man is a man, and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman. That said, I also believe- that’s what Scripture teaches, what I just said. But I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you believe that you are being treated with dignity by your colleagues?

: I didn’t run for the United States House of Representatives to talk about what bathroom I use. I didn’t run to talk about myself. I ran to deliver for Delawareans. And while Republicans in Congress seem focused on bathrooms and trans people, and specifically me, I’m focused on rolling up my sleeves, diving into the details, setting up my office, and beginning the hard work of delivering for Delawareans on the issues that I know keep them up at night. And I look forward to working with any colleague who’s ready to work and ready to be serious about the issues that matter because at the end of the day, how I’m being treated does not matter. What matters is how the American people are being treated and whether we’re actually focused on the issues that matter to them.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, some of your fellow congressional Democrats, including Tom Suozzi and Seth Moulton, have also recently spoken about their feelings, looking back at the last election, and said Democrats should be more open about saying whether they object to transgender athletes playing in girls sports. Those were the specific examples they brought up. How would you respond to your soon to be Democratic colleagues on those? Do you understand why some parents, for example, feel uncomfortable or frustrated?

: Look, I think this country is still entering into a conversation about who trans people are, the full diversity of the community. And I’ve had conversations with colleagues in the Democratic caucus already that- that span diversity of thought about how the party should engage on a whole host of issues. But I think we are all united that every single American deserves equal rights. I think we are all united that attempts to attack a vulnerable community are not only mean spirited, but really an attempt to misdirect. Because every single time we hear the incoming administration or Republicans in Congress talk about any vulnerable group in this country, we have to be clear that it is an attempt to distract. It is an attempt to distract from what they are actually doing. Every single time, every single time we hear them say the word trans, look what they’re doing with their right hand. Look at what they’re doing to pick the pocket of American workers, to fleece seniors by privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Look what they’re doing undermining workers. And here’s also what we have to be clear about, because I think the last week has been a prime example of this. Every bit of time and energy that is used to divert the attention of federal government to go after trans people is time and energy that is not focused on addressing the cost of living for our constituents. And we have to be clear that there is a real cost for the American worker every time they focus on this. 

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. Congresswoman elect, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you here in Washington. We’ll be right back.



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