Pentagon reviews new allegation in sexual-harassment case

April 8, 2000
Web posted at: 1:24 PM EDT (1724 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Turmoil in the Army's upper ranks, which became public last week with the disclosure that the highest-ranking woman had charged a fellow general with sexual harassment, intensified Saturday as the Pentagon confirmed that Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy herself now is accused of misconduct.

A senior defense official said Saturday the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General was notified Friday by a retired Army officer that "he was aware of personal misconduct on the part of Gen. Kennedy."

The nature of the alleged misconduct was not disclosed, and the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the evidence offered was limited. "It is not nearly enough to do something with," the official said.

Nonetheless, Donald Mancuso, the deputy inspector general, is required by law to determine whether a formal investigation may be merited, the official said. Mancuso is handling the matter because the inspector general post is vacant.

The name of the retired officer who made the allegation against Kennedy was not disclosed but is known to Mancuso, officials said. The accusing officer said the misconduct happened in the mid-1980s.

"What Mancuso is doing at this point is trying to ascertain additional information in order to make a decision as to the way ahead," the senior defense official said.

The new allegation against Kennedy was first reported Saturday by The New York Times.

Army officials declined to comment on the development. The Army has not even confirmed for the record that Kennedy filed a complaint or that the Army inspector general is investigating.

Neither Kennedy nor the officer she accused of sexually harassing her in 1996, Maj. Gen. Larry G. Smith, has responded to media requests for comment.

Kennedy, 52, who is not married, lodged her complaint after the Army announced in August that Smith, who is married, was chosen to be the Army's deputy inspector general. In that post, he would be responsible for investigating misconduct including behavior such as that of which he stands accused.

Although Smith was announced as the next deputy inspector general of the Army on Aug. 27, he never assumed the position. His status has been on official "hold" since last November, according to Army personnel records. He has been working at Army Materiel Command in Alexandria, Va.

Smith, a career armor officer and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, commanded the Army Security Assistance Command at the time of last August's announcement. Before that he managed the Army's modernization program for the national guard of Saudi Arabia.

Kennedy is the Army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, the service's most senior female general. She is among only three female three-star generals in the military. She is due to retire in June.

The Kennedy case is the latest in a string of embarrassing sexual misconduct cases in the Army. An earlier case involved another two-star general from the inspector general's office.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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