THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 1997 TAG: 9702120543
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 56 lines
At least two more women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the Army's top enlisted man, Sergeant Major of the Army Gene McKinney, a senior official said Tuesday.
``There are two more and there could be a third,'' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said the new allegations have been made in the wake of those by retired Sgt. Maj. Brenda Hoster, a former member of McKinney's staff.
Hoster has accused McKinney of kissing her, grabbing her and demanding sex during a trip to Hawaii. McKinney has denied the allegations.
The matter is under investigation by the Army's Criminal Investigation Command. On Monday, Army Chief of Staff Dennis Reimer ordered McKinney suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
The official, who is knowledgeable about the case, said investigators are looking into the new complaints. He said he was aware of two formal investigations in addition to the one related to Hoster's allegations but it was unclear whether the third had been opened at this juncture.
The official said it was his understanding that the new complaints were ``not as grievous'' as Hoster's, and that they involved verbal incidents and ``kissing.''
He declined to be more specific about the allegations, except to say that ``they are being taken seriously.''
On Monday, a military source reported that the second accuser against McKinney had emerged. She was identified only as an active-duty Navy sailor who had reported an incident through her commander, who then passed it on to the Army.
The other individuals also passed on information through the military chain of command, the official said.
Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon, asked Tuesday about the McKinney case, stressed that the allegations ``are only charges, accusations. They are not proof'' of any guilt.
``He has denied the allegations,'' Bacon said of McKinney.
In explaining its decision Monday, the Army said that publicity about the allegations against made it difficult for McKinney to function in his job.
The suspension came one day after the woman who made the accusation publicly complained of a ``different system of justice'' for the service's upper ranks. She noted that drill sergeants recently accused of sexual misconduct were suspended immediately, while McKinney had been allowed to stay on.
McKinney, the first black man to serve in the influential post, has been the senior enlisted adviser to the chief of staff of the Army since June 30, 1995.
The post is considered one of the most prestigious in the service, since it represents the vast majority of all soldiers at the highest levels of the Army. Only 10 men have held the job.
KEYWORDS: U.S. ARMY SEXUAL HARASSMENT