Citadel Cadet’s Father Says Women Have Suffered Abuse

A male Citadel cadet used a rifle butt to shove two female freshmen against a wall and then struck them in the head, the father of one of the women told a Charleston newspaper.

The two cadets, Kim Messer of Clover and Jeanie Mentavlos of Charlotte, N.C., have been subjected to other abuse since entering the Citadel in August with two other women, Harvey Messer said in today’s Charleston Post and Courier.

“She has been living in terror for God knows how long. She wouldn’t tell us until very recently,” he said. “She was afraid of some threats that were made of physical harm. She said one guy singled her and Jeanie out and constantly harassed them, shoved them around.”

The military college is also investigating accusations that someone sprayed one male and two female cadets with a flammable liquid and set their clothes on fire about four weeks ago.

The Citadel has suspended one male cadet and relieved three student officers of military duties pending an investigation into the allegations. The school has not named the cadets.

Citadel spokesman Terry Leedom told the newspaper he had not heard of the two women being hit.

Leedom said Mentavlos left the school infirmary Saturday after spending the night. Both women stayed off campus Saturday night, Messer said.