Sexual Misconduct

An Air Force general's decision to overturn the conviction of a standout fighter pilot on sexual assault charges is stirring anger on Capitol Hill, where some lawmakers say they are losing patience with the military after a string of related scandals . Several members of Congress have demanded that the Pentagon intervene after Lt. Gen. Craig A. Franklin , commander of the Third Air Force in Europe, ordered the release of the fighter pilot...

ALBANY, N.Y. — A former New York Air National Guard officer's allegations of abuse within a high-profile unit are more evidence of a "systemic crisis" in the nation's armed forces, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Friday. The claims of a pattern of sexual abuse at the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia, N.Y., come at the same time the unit is being investigated for officer misconduct, according to a spokesman for the state's Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Retired Lt. Col....

Lawmakers are pushing for several changes in how the U.S. military handles cases of reported sexual assault amid fresh data showing a sharp increase in the number of reported incidents. Years-long attempts by lawmakers to revamp how the military investigates and adjudicates allegations of sexual misconduct got a jolt Tuesday when the Pentagon released data showing 3,374 recorded reports of sexual assault in 2012, compared with 3,192 the previous year, part of a 35 percent jump in related ­crimes over the past two...

ALBANY, N.Y. — A high-profile New York Air National Guard airlift wing has promoted sexual abusers instead of punishing them, according to the retired officer who handled claims of sexual assault in the unit. "I can tell you from my firsthand experiences in this position, the program is BROKE, the commanders do not protect the victims or allow any follow up medical assistance," retired Lt. Col. Sharon Dwyer Stepp wrote in a letter she provided to The Associated Press on Thursday.

LONDON — Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who stepped down as Britain's highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric last week amid allegations of inappropriate behavior with priests, backed away from earlier denials and admitted Sunday to committing acts of sexual misconduct. The admission was a blow to the church's hierarchy even as cardinals prepare to meet in Rome on Monday to select a date for the conclave to pick a new pope . In Britain, the admission was considered a confirmation of what observers have called a prime example of church...

USA Swimming has placed a Washington area swim coach on its permanently banned list, citing four rules violations that relate to sexual misconduct between 2010 and 2012. Michael Pliuskaitis, formerly the head coach at Loudoun County-based Snow Swimming, initially was banned in early August and has been removed from the team's coaching roster for some time. His appeal was denied, leading to an official ban that was issued by USA Swimming on Friday. Pliuskaitis is the region's third local ...

The May 7 Metro article " U-Va. eases standard to show sexual misconduct ," on new University of Virginia rules regarding sexual misconduct, failed to adequately explore the serious due process questions raised by these rules and the Education Department initiative mandating them. Not all accusations of sexual misconduct are accurate or true, and the truth can be especially hard to discern in "he said, she said" cases. No matter, the Education Department's new policies increase the risk that students wrongly...

After an unprecedented string of sexual misconduct cases in Prince William County schools, officials are weighing strategies to curb future violations. In the past month, four of the county's teachers have been arrested on accusations of sexual misconduct involving students. "It's certainly an anomaly," said Ken Blackstone, a school system spokesman. "We've had years go by without a single case. " Even before the recent cases were reported, the school district was considering strengthening its...

They are coaches, mentors and educators. They are the people whom parents rely on to teach and protect their children. But, they can also become a parent's worst nightmare when they betray the trust placed on them by sexually abusing a child. School systems across the Washington area run background checks and host seminars on employee conduct, yet some people slip through the cracks. In Prince William County, educators are taking a second look at their policies and crafting an outreach program for...

Alleged rape victims at the University of Virginia would no longer be required to present "clear and convincing" evidence to prevail in the school's judicial system under rules proposed this week, one of the first products of a federal campaign to empower victims of sexual misconduct on campus. U-Va. is among the first universities to act on new guidelines released by the federal Education Department last month that call on universities to strengthen rules for sexual...

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday that they must stamp out the scourge of sexual assault in the military. Hagel's message, following President Obama's edict to U.S. Naval Academy graduates a day earlier, comes amid widespread reports of sexual misconduct across the armed services in recent months and a new report showing that the problem is growing. At West Point, an Army sergeant was charged earlier in the week with secretly photographing and...

Lawmakers are pushing for several changes in how the U.S. military handles cases of reported sexual assault amid fresh data showing a sharp increase in the number of reported incidents. Years-long attempts by lawmakers to revamp how the military investigates and adjudicates allegations of sexual misconduct got a jolt Tuesday when the Pentagon released data showing 3,374 recorded reports of sexual assault in 2012, compared with 3,192 the previous year, part of a 35 percent jump in...

Here in the papal interregnum , rumors fly about a shady cabal of Vatican officials who may—or may not—be subject to blackmail for sexual misbehavior . UK Cardinal Keith O'Brien resigns and admits to sexual misconduct. The church is reeling from a clergy sex abuse scandal that continues to unfold worldwide. America's Catholic bishops continue to raise objection to HHS' policy that requires employers to cover birth control. It seems like every media mention of the Catholic Church involves sex, sexual...

An Air Force general's decision to overturn the conviction of a standout fighter pilot on sexual assault charges is stirring anger on Capitol Hill, where some lawmakers say they are losing patience with the military after a string of related scandals . Several members of Congress have demanded that the Pentagon intervene after Lt. Gen. Craig A. Franklin , commander of the Third Air Force in Europe, ordered the release of the fighter pilot...

CANTERBURY, England — Days after pulling out of the conclave to elect the next pope and vowing to fight the charges against him, disgraced Scottish Cardinal Keith O'Brien admitted Sunday (March 3) to inappropriate "sexual conduct. " O'Brien, who until a week ago was the highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric in England and Scotland, had served as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh for the last seven years and was made a cardinal in 2003. After a week of turmoil among Scotland's 700,000 Catholics, the...

USA Swimming has placed a Washington area swim coach on its permanently banned list, citing four rules violations that relate to sexual misconduct between 2010 and 2012. Michael Pliuskaitis, formerly the head coach at Loudoun County-based Snow Swimming, initially was banned in early August and has been removed from the team's coaching roster for some time. His appeal was denied, leading to an official ban that was issued by USA Swimming on Friday. Pliuskaitis is the...

ALBANY, N.Y. — A former New York Air National Guard officer's allegations of abuse within a high-profile unit are more evidence of a "systemic crisis" in the nation's armed forces, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Friday. The claims of a pattern of sexual abuse at the 109th Airlift Wing in Scotia, N.Y., come at the same time the unit is being investigated for officer misconduct, according to a spokesman for the state's Division of Military and Naval Affairs. Retired Lt. Col....

An investigation into misconduct by Air Force trainers at a Texas base found that at least 48 female students were victims of sexual assault or other transgressions by their instructors, according to a report released Wednesday that dissected the culture that enabled the worst military sex-abuse scandal in recent history . The investigation, sparked by a rape allegation at Lackland Air Force Base in June 2011, has ensnared 23 trainers who...