Woodburn, Ore. — The State of Oregon has settled a lawsuit brought by former youth held at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility who say the Oregon Youth Authority’s longtime doctor sexually abused them while agency leaders ignored warnings for years, OPB reported Oct. 13. KOIN 6 reported the settlement covers 11 former youth. The terms have not been released. The plaintiffs originally sought $51 million.
The accused physician, pediatrician Edward G. Edwards, began working at OYA in 1977 and died in 2025, before the lawsuits were filed, according to OPB. Youths in custody called him “Dr. Cold Fingers,” a former OYA clinical psychologist told Willamette Week. Edwards was never criminally charged, and the claims against the state are allegations made in civil court.
What former MacLaren youth allege
According to court filings described by OPB, Edwards molested multiple teenage boys, refused to wear gloves while touching children’s genitals for several minutes, and barred chaperones from exam rooms. Willamette Week reported the alleged abuse spanned roughly 2000 to 2017, when Edwards retired as OYA’s chief medical officer, and that at least 125 former youths have joined several lawsuits.
Former OYA medical staff have backed the boys’ accounts. Former OYA physician Dr. Michael Puerini told Willamette Week: “Digital rectal exams certainly were not routine.”
Oregon Youth Authority leaders were warned, lawsuits say
The core of the case is not just what one doctor allegedly did, but who let him keep doing it. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say multiple OYA executives received warnings and did not act, OPB reported. The agency received reports in the 1990s and 2000s, but according to the filings no official conducted any further investigation.
Oregon State Police looked into claims in 2007 but did not find “enough prosecutorial evidence,” and OYA investigator Jason Barber later called the allegations “unsubstantiated,” according to OPB.
Thirteen former OYA staff members filed sworn statements alleging agency leadership knew about the abuse and did not stop it, Willamette Week reported. One former nurse, Jeffrey Lynn Anderson, gave this explanation:
OYA never fired or disciplined Dr. Edwards because he was the chief medical officer for juveniles and he was inexpensive.
Jeffrey Lynn Anderson, former OYA nurse, via Willamette Week
Fariborz Pakseresht, who led OYA from 2012 to 2017, is named as a defendant in the litigation, Willamette Week reported. A Marion County grand jury report released in December 2025 described “cascading failures” at MacLaren and listed sexual abuse among the most pressing concerns, OPB reported.
Secret terms, six more lawsuits
The first group’s trial had been set for Nov. 2, according to Willamette Week. The state settled before it began. Six more active lawsuits remain, and the state has not offered settlements in those cases, OPB reported. Plaintiffs’ attorney Peter Janci said his firm will release some facts in the coming weeks.
We’re very proud of our clients for coming forward and speaking up about what happened to them.
Peter Janci, attorney for the plaintiffs, to OPB
OYA spokesperson Marja Martinez said the agency could not comment on the settlement because of other pending litigation, OPB reported.
Secret settlements protect institutions, not children. The boys who say they were abused inside MacLaren were in the state’s total custody, with no parent in the room and no way to refuse an exam. When those in charge are accused of hearing the warnings and shrugging, the public deserves to see the full terms and the full record, not a sealed check.
Key facts
- Facility: MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, Woodburn, run by the Oregon Youth Authority
- Accused: Dr. Edward G. Edwards, OYA pediatrician from 1977; retired 2017; died 2025; never charged
- Settlement: First group of plaintiffs (11 former youth, per KOIN); terms undisclosed; $51 million originally sought
- Allegation: OYA leaders received reports in the 1990s and 2000s and did not investigate further
- Scale: At least 125 former youths across several suits; six active lawsuits still pending
- Official finding: Dec. 2025 Marion County grand jury cited “cascading failures” at MacLaren
Sources
- OPB — Oregon settles lawsuit over sexual abuse at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility (2026-10-13)
- KOIN 6 — Oregon settles ‘Dr. Cold Fingers’ sex abuse case with 11 former youth inmates (2026-10-13)
- Willamette Week / Oregon Journalism Project — New filings in Oregon Youth Authority sex abuse lawsuits allege long-term cover-up (2026-08-18)
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