Women Cadets at West Point Were Unknowingly Videotaped in the Bathroom and Shower

A member of the staff at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, has been accused of videotaping women cadets without their consent. Some of the videotape footage showed the women cadets in the bathroom or in the shower. About a dozen women cadets were videotaped.

Charges of indecent acts, dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, and actions prejudicial to good order and discipline were filed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice against Sergeant First Class Michael McClendon of Blakely, Georgia.

McClendon served as a staff officer “responsible for the health, welfare, and discipline” of a group of 125 cadets. The staff officer’s duties include assisting “each cadet in balancing and integrating the requirements of physical, military, academic, and moral-ethical programs.”

McClendon joined the Army in 1990 and served two deployments in Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star.