Patient Alleging Sexual Abuse By VA Therapist Can Sue U.S.

A patient who alleges his therapist at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center pressured him into a sexual relationship can sue the government for negligent supervision, but he can’t hold the U.S. directly responsible for the therapist’s actions, the Fourth Circuit said Wednesday.

William Lins was a Marine Corps reservist who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He survived a suicide bombing that killed several Marines and left him with damaged hearing and a suspected traumatic brain injury. Lins also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and alcohol addiction.

Lins was admitted to the Baltimore VA Psychosocial Residential ...