The commandant of the Army War College, who was suspended Feb. 9, is being investigated for alleged sexual misconduct, according to Army officials.
Maj. Gen. Stephen J. Maranian "was suspended from his duties for an allegation of inappropriate touching unrelated to his current position," Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement.
Task and Purpose reported that a military protective order was issued against Maranian on the day of his suspension.
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Special agents from Army Criminal Investigation Command are investigating the allegation against Maranian, Smith said in the statement.
"No further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the investigative process," he said in the statement. "These are allegations at this time, and MG Maranian is presumed innocent until and if proven otherwise."
Details on the circumstances around Maranian's suspension come two months after the results of an independent review of Fort Hood, Texas, exposed a culture that was permissive to sexual harassment and assault.
As a result of the review, then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy relieved or suspended 14 leaders at Fort Hood and formed a special task force to take action on the independent review's 70 recommendations, some of which involve Army-wide policy.
This month, the Army announced it is launching a new version of the Defense Organizational Climate Survey. It will include 10 additional questions about sexual harassment and sexual assault reporting to provide commanders with an evidence-based feedback tool to help them intervene against these destructive behaviors, according to a Feb. 11 service news release.
During Maranian's suspension, Maj. Gen. David Hill, deputy chief of engineers and the deputy commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, has been assigned as the acting commandant of the War College.
Maranian became commandant last July. Before this command, he had served as the deputy commander of education at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center; the provost at Army University; and deputy commandant at the Army Command and General Staff College, all of which are at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, according to his service biography.
As the deputy commander of the Corps of Engineers, Hill was second in command of an organization of more than 36,000 civilian employees and 800 military personnel supporting 250 Army and Air Force installations and providing technical and construction expertise to more than 110 countries, according to his Army bio. Hill came to that post last July.
The War College, located at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, was created to develop senior leaders into skilled critical thinkers who can solve complex problems at the strategic level, according to the institution's website.
-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
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