Meghann Sullivan: US Army commander accused of 'forcefully kissing' and grabbing crotch of male subordinates
WASHINGTON, DC: A female US Army commander is under scrutiny after being accused of “forcefully kissing” her male subordinates and groping them below the belt. Colonel Meghann Sullivan, 44, commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion at the 5th SFAB, has reportedly been investigated over an alleged pattern of sexual harassment.
Sullivan allegedly assaulted two male subordinates by forcefully kissing one of them and grabbing another “below the belt” without consent, according to Military.com. She is also facing allegations of harassing several other men, with some of those incidents allegedly tied to alcohol abuse, revealed two sources close to the investigation. Sullivan is apparently still in charge even though commanders are sometimes suspended during probes. "We have no information on that matter that we can share at this time," Sgt 1st Class Adrian Patoka, a military spokesperson, said in a statement. "We take any and all allegations seriously and handle them appropriately as circumstances dictate."
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Who is Meghann Sullivan?
Sullivan, who has been in the military for more than 20 years, is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of George Washington University, according to her Facebook. She took command of the SFAB unit in June 2021, becoming the first female to do so. Sullivan comes to the Vanguard Brigade from the 31st Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where she served as the unit’s commander, as per US Army.
COL. MEGHANN SULLIVAN: Female Commander Investigated over Alleged Sexual Assaults of Male Subordinates & Pattern of Harassment pic.twitter.com/UH3L7DyUo7
— SEGAMI (@segamihcfund) April 25, 2023
When she was promoted, the Army described her as a "phenomenal engineer" and cited her accomplishment as "another example of the great talent resident in our formation." "As a senior, female advisor, she will also be a great example of the power of inclusion as she engages with militaries throughout the Indo-Pacific region," Major General Scott Jackson said at the time, according to Daily Mail.
Sullivan’s boss was suspended over allegations of abuse against soldiers
The allegations against Sullivan came just days after her boss, Colonel Jonathan Chung, was placed on administrative leave as authorities investigated allegations that he fostered a hostile work environment by abusing and disparaging his subordinates. He is facing accusations of micromanaging his staff and dressing down his subordinates for minor infractions. The investigation against Chung is still underway, but it is anticipated to be wrapped this coming week, according to Military.com.
Approximately 14,000 incidents of sexual assault against men are reported annually in the US military, according to 2021 data from the Department of Defense. Male victims account for only 10% of all sexual assault cases as many of the incidents goes unreported due to stigma and fear of being an outcast, according to NY Post. Incidents of sexual assault reported to the military rose 13% over the previous year. In addition to these cases, there were 144,300 reported rape cases in the United States in the year 2022.