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Army removes McKinney from top post
October 9, 1997
Web posted at: 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 GMT)Latest developments:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army announced Thursday that Sgt. Maj. Gene McKinney, whom it intends to court-martial on charges of sexual harassment, has been removed from his job as the senior enlisted soldier.
"He no longer is sergeant major of the Army," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Harkey said.
McKinney will remain in uniform and continue working on his legal defense, officials said. The sergeant major of the Army advises top Army leaders on issues affecting the 400,000 enlisted soldiers who constitute the bulk of the service.
The decision to remove McKinney comes a day after the decision to court-martial him on 20 counts of sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice.
Army Chief of Staff Dennis Reimer said that while he has formed no opinion about McKinney's guilt or innocence regarding the court-martial, McKinney would "not be available to perform the critical duties of sergeant major of the Army for an uncertain period of time."
The statement quotes Reimer as saying, "I owe the soldiers of the United States Army a full-time sergeant major of the Army who can forcefully advocate their interests and advise Army leadership on matters pertaining to enlisted soldiers."
Reimer appointed two men to share McKinney's duties in June. One of them, Sgt. Maj. James McKinney, is McKinney's identical twin and is based at the Army's Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The other is Sgt. Maj. Jerry Alley Jr., assigned to the Forces Command in Atlanta.
Reimer did not say whether either of those two is a candidate for the job.
McKinney to plead innocent
McKinney's attorney, Charles Gittins, said earlier Thursday that McKinney will plead innocent to the charges of sexually harassing six servicewomen.
The 46-year-old McKinney, a 29-year veteran, is expected to enter a plea at an arraignment within a few days.
He has strongly denied the charges against him, which include adultery, indecent assault and soliciting sex. He also has accused the Army of racial bias. McKinney is black; all six of his accusers are white.
The case against McKinney, which started with sexual misconduct accusations last February by a former aide, retired Sgt. Maj. Brenda Hoster, has been a source of embarrassment for the Army.
The service has struggled with a string of sexual harassment and abuse cases in recent months. An independent panel concluded this summer that sexual harassment was widespread in the Army and that its leaders were to blame for letting it persist.
No date set for court martial
The decision to court-martial McKinney followed eight weeks of hearings into the allegations. The trial is to be held at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. No trial date has been set.
If convicted on all 20 counts, McKinney could face a maximum of 56 years in prison, the loss of all pay and benefits, dishonorable discharge from the Army and reduction to the lowest enlisted rank.
Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Army sergeant major to plead not guilty to sex harassment - October 9, 1997
- Investigator recommends McKinney be court-martialed - September 19, 1997
- Army reviews McKinney's case to see if trial warranted - September 15, 1997
- Army accepts 'scathing indictment' about sexual harassment - September 11, 1997
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