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The final defendant has reached a settlement in a sprawling civil case accusing a former West Linn physician of sexually abusing more than 100 patients, resolving what had been described as a nearly $1 billion lawsuit just days before trial was set to begin.
The case named disgraced doctor David Farley along with multiple health care institutions, including Legacy Health, Providence, and West Linn Family Health Center. The trial was scheduled to start Monday before an eleventh hour settlement was reached with Providence, the last remaining defendant, ABC affiliate KATU News Channel 2 reported yesterday.
Former patients alleged that Farley sexually abused them during medical appointments, disguising the conduct as legitimate care. The accusations eventually triggered criminal investigations and led to the revocation of Farley’s medical license. Court filings indicate that Farley, West Linn Family Health Center, and Legacy had already settled earlier, leaving Providence as the sole defendant until the final agreement was reached. Attorneys for the survivors declined to comment on the specific terms, and the settlement amount has not yet been made public.
The case traces back to 2020, when former patients came forward with allegations that spanned years. That same year, the Oregon Medical Board opened an investigation and concluded that Farley’s conduct constituted sexual misconduct. He surrendered his medical license in October 2020. Criminal accountability proved slower. In 2022, the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office initially failed to secure an indictment after presenting the case to a grand jury, prompting sharp criticism from survivors and calls for outside review.
In December 2024, the district attorney formally requested intervention from the state attorney general. Under Dan Rayfield, the Department of Justice took the case back to a grand jury and obtained an indictment on sexual abuse charges in October 2025. Prosecutors later expanded the case, adding additional alleged victims and charges in December. Farley has pleaded not guilty and remains out on bond while awaiting trial. It remains unclear whether the civil settlement will have any impact on the pending criminal case.
The civil litigation also prompted legislative change in Oregon. Following investigative reporting that found state law lagged behind other jurisdictions in addressing sexually abusive medical conduct, lawmakers passed reforms aimed at making it easier to prosecute doctors who abuse patients. Those changes, however, were not retroactive and do not apply to Farley, whose indictment is based on laws in effect at the time of the alleged abuse.
In a statement released by attorneys representing 174 former patients, the survivors described the settlement as a measure of long delayed accountability for institutions they say failed to stop Farley’s abuse. They emphasized that their pursuit of justice continues through the criminal case and pointed to broader reforms sparked by the litigation, including statewide chaperone policies for sensitive exams, extended statutes of limitations, and the permanent closure of West Linn Family Health Center.
For more news coverage:
Former LDS-Affiliated Oregon Doctor David Farley Pleads Not Guilty to 11 Felony Charges in Abuse Case
Subpoena Fight Brings LDS Church Into Lawsuit Over Dr. David Farley, Oregon Doctor Accused of Abuse
Dr. David Farley Sexual Abuse Lawsuit: LDS Church Accused of Protecting A Predator
