The army is investigating the supervisors of Fort Hood shooting suspect Nidal Hasan. Hasan is an army psychiatrist who is believed to be responsible for a shooting rampage on November 5, 2009 that killed thirteen people. The supervisors have received notice the inquiry could lead to letters of discipline or even courts-martial.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh ordered the review. On Thursday he stated,”I have directed Gen. Carter Ham to conduct an accountability review to identify whether any personnel were responsible for failures or deficiencies in applying Army programs, policies, and procedures to the alleged assailant.”
The investigation centers on the fact that Hasan is believed to have displayed irrational behavior and was less than satisfactory in completing his duties. He was often late or did not show up to work at all, and was confrontational about his Islamic views.
There are allegations that Hasan’s performance reviews were not accurate and gave him much higher marks than warranted. The records show that many doctors had worried about Hasan for years. However, evidence shows that only one supervisor, Maj. Scott Moran, actively tried to get Hasan out of the psychiatry program. Moran became head of the psychiatric residents program in March 2007 and told colleagues they should get rid of Hasan. Moran wrote a memo to the powerful credentials committee that criticized Hasan for a “pattern of poor judgment and a lack of professionalism.” His denunciation was ignored for fear of legal repercussions.
See NPR for more.
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