A University ROTC officer is being investigated following reports of a prohibited relationship with a female cadet.
Battalion Commander Lt. Col. John Wright confirmed the ongoing investigation but said he could not identify anyone involved. He said an individual outside the ROTC program made the allegations.
The anonymous individual who made the accusations told The Daily Reveille that the officer in question is Sgt. Wayne Lawrence, military sciences instructor and battalion sergeant major. The accuser said Lawrence began a romantic relationship with a University student cadet in April, and the two constantly communicated via text messages and phone calls.
Wright said he requested an outside investigation be conducted to see if the allegations were true, and if they weren’t, to clear the names of accused individuals.
Investigating Officer Cpt. Michael Leiva with Tulane University Army ROTC confirmed the outside investigation is still ongoing, but further information could not be provided at this time.
Wright said ROTC officials are not allowed to date any students and such an act has “career-ruining potential.”
Army Regulation 600-20 Section 4-15a states unnecessary relationships between a training soldier and permanent personnel is prohibited.
The cadet in question is no longer under Lawrence’s command but is still under his instruction in class, Wright said, claiming the evidence has not yet been credible enough to consider suspending the officer.
When The Daily Reveille spoke with Lawrence on Tuesday, he declined to comment on the matter, saying his lawyer would be in contact at a later date.
 
____
Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]