PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Five women have sued the state of Oregon and the state Corrections Department, accusing former Coffee Creek Correctional Facility employees of sexual assault, battery and harassment.

The women, who are seeking millions in damages, contend negligence by the Corrections Department allowed the abuse to occur. The plaintiffs were inmates at the Wilsonville prison at the time of the alleged offenses.

The state of Oregon and the Corrections Department were named in the lawsuits filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Corrections Department spokeswoman Jeanine Hohn said she could not comment on pending litigation in which the agency was named, but she wanted to speak in general about the agency's policy toward employee misconduct.

"The department takes the conduct of its employees very seriously. When situations of potential or real misconduct are reported or observed, we investigate immediately," Hohn said, adding that if the findings warrant it, cases may be turned over to the state police.

"The agency makes every effort to ensure that our employees understand what is and is not appropriate behavior," she added.

Salem lawyer Brian Lathen, who is representing four of the women, said the cases call attention to supervision issues at the 8-year-old prison, which houses roughly 1,000 inmates.

According to court papers, over the course of three years beginning in 2006, the women reported several incidents of forced sexual contact with certain members of the Coffee Creek staff, varying from verbal assault to sexual intercourse.

The alleged contact ranged from a one-time encounter with one employee to a two-year unwanted relationship involving another.

The Oregonian did not identify the women in its report on the lawsuits.

In addition to the sex offense accusations, Lathen's clients alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, civil rights violations and statutory negligence.

Lathen said more women were expected to file suit.

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