WASHINGTON – A sergeant first class on the staff of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point faces charges for allegedly videotaping female cadets without their consent, sometimes when they were in the shower, according to Army officials.
The Army is contacting a dozen women to alert them that their privacy may have been violated and to offer support or counseling as required, officials said.
Sgt. Michael McClendon faces charges under four articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for indecent acts, dereliction in the performance of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, and actions prejudicial to good order and discipline. McClendon, who has been assigned to the school since 2009, was transferred to Fort Drum, N.Y., after charges were filed May 14, Army officials said.
At West Point, McClendon served as a "tactical noncommissioned officer," described in academy personnel documents as a staff adviser "responsible for the health, welfare and discipline" of a company of 125 cadets. The person in the position is expected to "assist each cadet in balancing and integrating the requirements of physical, military, academic and moral-ethical programs."
The student body at West Point numbers about 4,500 cadets; just more than 15 percent are female.
The allegations came in the midst of growing outrage in the armed services, in Congress and even from President Obama over reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military — and at the failure of official efforts to reduce the problem and protect victims.
NEW YORK TIMES
