A Marine at Camp Pendleton, California, has been reduced in rank following an April 6 incident involving six other noncommissioned officers, in which she took part in berating subordinates, Corps officials said.
Cpl. K.D. Lee, of the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, pleaded guilty at a Nov. 3 summary court-martial to “wrongfully condoning or ignoring hazing that she knew or reasonably should have known did occur,” a spokesman for the 1st Marine Logistics Group said.
Little information about the April 6 incident was included in a redacted copy of Lee’s charge sheet, which 1st MLG provided to Marine Corps Times. A private first class was pushed into a wall and Lee was accused of threatening to throw him off the roof. The other Marines involved are not mentioned in the charge sheet.
Lee pleaded not guilty to hazing and failure to report hazing, said 1st Lt. Adam Miller. She was reduced in rank to lance corporal and sentenced to 60 days’ restriction and forfeiture of two-thirds of one month’s pay. The San Diego Union-Tribune first reported about the case on Nov. 30.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Lee’s case was heard by a summary court-martial instead of a special court-martial, Miller said. The other six NCOs involved in the case received nonjudicial punishment.
“Hazing is contradictory to our core values of honor, courage and commitment and is prejudicial to good order and discipline,” Miller said. “Hazing violates our institutional character and disrespects our most precious asset ― our Marines and sailors. Hazing is absolutely not tolerated in the Marine Corps.”
