Sued College Bans Genital Probes Of Students

A Florida college accused of forcing students to undergo vaginal ultrasounds during a medical training course has banned the practice.

Valencia State College announced its diagnostic sonography programme would "permanently discontinue" the use of transvaginal ultrasound scanning on "volunteers".

Two students filed a federal lawsuit last week in Orlando against the college and three female instructors.

It claims they were coerced into examinations of their sexual organs under threat of having their grades reduced or of being blacklisted by future employers.

One of the defendants "positioned these transvaginal probes as voluntary, but its actual policy and practice was that they were not", says the lawsuit.

The students allege they had to submit to the procedures on a weekly basis, even though the college had anatomically correct simulators that could have been used instead.

Valencia President Sandy Shugart said in Tuesday's statement the simulators would be used in future for such ultrasounds.

He said an independent expert had reviewed the programme last summer after complaints from students - and found it to be safe and professional.

Though peer physical examination is an accepted practice in the medical field, the approach at Valencia went too far, say the plaintiffs.

"A student would place a condom over the probe and then apply generous amounts of lubrication to the probe," the lawsuit alleges.

It also states that students would sometimes "have to sexually 'stimulate' plaintiffs" in order to facilitate inserting the probe.

The filing says the women experienced "embarrassment" each time they underwent the procedure.

During one probing session, a defendant allegedly made "bizarre" comments which made one plaintiff uncomfortable.

She "stated (the plaintiff) was 'sexy' and should be an 'escort girl'", according to the lawsuit.