A lawsuit alleges that nearly 200 current and former California correctional officers were forced to take unnecessary rectal exams that amounted to sexual assault.

The Sacramento Bee says the lawsuit was filed Thursday against the state corrections department.

The Bee says several workers said they were correction recruits when they were told they couldn’t proceed to training unless they had invasive rectal exams — including a woman who says she was told it was a prostate exam. Women don’t have prostates.

A message to the corrections department seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned.