"Predator in Uniform": Alleged Large-Scale Sexual Abuse by Army Gynecologist at Fort Hood
A former Marine veteran noticed something alarming while his pregnant wife, an Army officer, was being examined last month at Fort Hood, Texas. When the gynecologist bent down to reposition the ultrasound machine, the veteran saw the doctor’s cellphone in his shirt pocket with the camera lens facing outward. When he checked the phone screen, he saw it was recording. After the exam ended, the veteran reported the incident to two female medical staffers; their muted response led him to publicly confront the doctor in a hallway. That confrontation set off an investigation that has revealed what may be one of the largest alleged sexual-abuse scandals in U.S. military history.
Allegations and removal - Last month Army officials at Fort Hood removed Maj. Dr. Blaine MacGrew (name as reported) from his position as a gynecologist, after a military investigation began into repeated alleged assaults and secret recordings of at least one patient during a gynecological and breast exam. - Military investigators reportedly recovered thousands of photos and videos from MacGrew’s phone. According to a civil lawsuit, those files were taken over many years and depict dozens of female patients, many unnamed in the filing (lawsuit filed Nov. 10; cited by CNN). - At least 65 women so far have alleged sexual misconduct by MacGrew, and that number is expected to grow, according to CNN reporting.
Scope: letters to roughly 3,000 patients - The Army sent notification letters to roughly 3,000 patients who saw MacGrew at Fort Hood and at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, where he worked years earlier, according to sources (CNN). - “The potential scope of this harm is, in my view, unprecedented in Army history,” said attorney Andrew Kompos, who represents some of the plaintiffs. Kompos noted the case touches two major military bases, multiple command chains, thousands of military spouses and service members placed under his care (CNN).
Allegations that complaints were ignored - A lawsuit filed Nov. 10 alleges the Army knew about complaints against MacGrew and “provided cover” for what the complaint calls “a predator in uniform,” saying reports had been made at both Fort Hood and Tripler (lawsuit filed Nov. 10). - Victim advocates and survivors say the case raises questions about the effectiveness of reforms enacted after the 2020 murder of Specialist Vanessa Guillen at Fort Hood, whose prior complaints of sexual harassment were ignored by commanders. Survivors and advocates argue procedural gaps allowed MacGrew to continue seeing patients despite earlier attempts to report him. - Shannon Hof, director of the nonprofit Shield of Sisters, which supports survivors of military sexual trauma, said she has spoken with dozens of women who say they tried to report MacGrew to Army officials in the past but were not heard.
Accounts from two patients - “Megan” (pseudonym): A soldier’s spouse and a survivor of sexual assault, she visited Fort Hood’s medical center in December 2024 for sinusitis and asked not to be examined by a man. When MacGrew entered, she requested that a staff member be present for a sensitive exam; she was told staff were busy. She says MacGrew put his hand on her knee, pressured her to have a gynecological exam she did not need, and conducted invasive touches despite her refusals. She said she confronted a female staff member at the front desk in tears but was told the people who could take reports were busy and to call later. Over subsequent weeks she made repeated attempts to file an official complaint but was shuffled between departments and never recorded; she ultimately dropped the report, left Fort Hood after giving birth, and moved with her husband. After the MacGrew story surfaced publicly, an Army investigator later contacted her to ask whether she had been mistreated. - “Lisa” (pseudonym): In summer 2021, while in late pregnancy with her fourth child, she saw MacGrew after he suggested a quick cervical check. She said he pressured her into the exam, performed it roughly — so much so that her water broke and amniotic fluid spilled on the floor — and had his phone in his shirt pocket with the camera facing out during the exam. She says he warned her not to tell anyone that her water had broken until she left the base because both could get in trouble. Years later, after seeing a law firm’s name in news about an anonymous Fort Hood physician who allegedly recorded patients, she called and was unable to sleep that night, reliving the exam. She said the experience has left lasting trauma and shame.
Context and concerns - Victims and advocates fear recent statements from Army leadership could make reporting misconduct harder. Army Secretary Pete Hegseth has said he intends to end anonymous and what he called “frivolous” complaints, a move critics say may discourage victims from coming forward. - The lawsuit also contends that while MacGrew practiced at Tripler in Hawaii, at least one patient had already filed a complaint claiming he had secretly filmed a pelvic exam. That complaint, the suit alleges, was dismissed by MacGrew’s chain of command, who allegedly laughed off the allegation and allowed him to continue practicing.
What’s next - The investigation is ongoing. The Army has notified thousands of former patients and says it is reviewing the allegations. The civil lawsuit and potential criminal inquiries may produce further details and additional alleged victims. - Survivors and advocates are calling for thorough accountability, transparency about how prior complaints were handled, and better protections to prevent service members and military families from being harmed by medical providers in uniform.
Sources: reporting referenced statements and details from a civil lawsuit filed Nov. 10 and reporting by CNN.
