A former Army battalion commander has been found guilty in a military court of sexually harassing a subordinate, one of the first cases of its kind brought after an overhaul of the military’s legal system that established sexual harassment as a criminal offense.
The officer, Lt. Col. Herman West of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a female officer in his command, making unwanted comments and touching her inappropriately. He faced additional charges over his treatment of other female officers at the base.
A court-martial judge found him guilty Friday of sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming of an officer and maltreatment. West, who had been removed from his leadership role in the battalion as a result of the case, was fined more than $92,000 and received a written reprimand in his personnel file. The conviction is considered to be a felony-level offense.