PORTLAND, Ore. — Warning: The following article describes incidents of sexual assault.
Newly filed court documents paint a disturbing pattern of alleged sexual assaults from former OHSU anesthesiology resident Dr. Jason Campbell.
The declarations or sworn statements were filed as part of a multi-million dollar lawsuit against OHSU and Campbell. The lawsuit was filed last month.
Campbell gained national notoriety in 2020 for his dances that went viral on the social media app TikTok.
"They're consistent to what we've known before we've filed the case," said Michael Fuller, partner at OlsenDaines and one of the attorneys for the plaintiff. "Which is that this doctor has had various allegations leveled against him very close to what our client has alleged."
Two of the women say Campbell sexually assaulted them at different times. In the court documents the statement reads, "Jason Campbell came into the room. My back was to him. I turned my head to say “Hi." Jason did not respond, he just smiled and stared at me while the automatic door closed behind him."
The statement says that in 2019, Campbell walked up behind her, "He forcefully grinded into my backside as if to make sure I felt his erection. I remember Jason Campbell asking me something along the lines of 'Do you like that?' or 'What do you think of that?'"
The anonymous woman states she ran away and told two male coworkers about what happened but did not report the incident because she says she feared OHSU would not believe her.
The affidavit says she told her nurse manager in December 2020 about the assault and says the nurse manager reported the assault that same day.
A few days later, the statement says she was contacted by the hospital's Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity (AAEO) department but was told after being interviewed that, "AAEO was not going to do anything because Jason Campbell no longer worked for OHSU."
In another instance, another woman states in the affidavit, that while inside a supply closet Campbell walked in behind her and, "Grabbed me from behind, he grabbed the front top of my thighs, and he pushed and ground his erection into my backside."
The affidavit goes on to say that she stated, "Oh my god!" and his response was, "Don't worry, nobody saw. I made sure."
The unidentified woman says that on multiple occasions during a FaceTime chat, Campbell exposed himself unprovoked. The affidavit states that the woman hung up immediately on him both times.
"I reported being sexually assaulted by Jason Campbell to two OHSU physicians. Both were both disgusted with Jason Campbell and encouraged me to report the assault and harassment." The affidavit states, "I told the physicians that I feared I would not be believed and that I feared repercussions if I reported that I had been sexually assaulted by Jason Campbell."
In the third sworn declaration, an unidentified woman says that in 2019 Campbell would follow her around her unit and offer free hugs. It goes on to say that he would walk up behind her and touch her on her shoulders while she was talking with nurses.
"Two of them are very similar and sadly we've been approached by additional women who have very similar allegations as well, but understandably they haven't been comfortable coming forward or signing a declaration," Fuller said.
The multi-million dollar lawsuit claims managers at OHSU were made aware of the continual harassment and assault and did not act appropriately in taking action.
"I would say most of the allegations in the complaint are about OHSU and its alleged pattern and practice of burying victim and survivor complaints against male doctors," Fuller said.
Fuller says because these incidents occurred in 2019 and there was presumably no formal notice given, the women have no legal recourse under Oregon law.
"Oregon law requires a victim or a survivor to give notice to a university within 6 months of an assault or they lose all rights to go to court," Fuller said.
OHSU released a statement last Wednesday that says they do not condone the acts alleged in the lawsuit and said:
We are continuously working to evolve our culture, policies and practices to provide an environment where all learners, employees, patients and visitors feel safe and welcome. We take our role seriously in being part of the change that needs to happen across our country to end discrimination and power dynamics that allow for harassment. We remain committed to these ideals and will continue to prioritize them as a public leader in health care, education and research.
OHSU's Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity department received the plaintiff's complaint on April 17, 2020. Following an initial assessment of the complaint, Dr. Jason Campbell was removed from clinical duties and excluded from campus or contact with the plaintiff shortly thereafter, consistent with our standard protocols. Following an investigation, which provided the plaintiff and Dr. Campbell an opportunity to be heard and substantiated that Dr. Campbell violated OHSU's harassment policy and code of conduct, Dr. Campbell was referred for dismissal. He resigned in lieu of a dismissal hearing on October 23, 2020. OHSU subsequently reported our findings that Dr. Campbell violated our harassment policy and code of conduct to the University of Florida.
You can read the affidavit in full here and a motion for the plaintiff to remain anonymous here.