An active-duty Marine has lost his job as a Naval Academy history teacher for allegedly having consensual sex with a midshipman years before attaining his Annapolis post, an allegation that came to light amid a misconduct investigation into a fellow Marine Maj. Mark Thompson, who was convicted of having a sexual relationship with an academy midshipman in 2013.
Maj. Mike Pretus will serve as a witness for Thompson's prosecution, he told The Washington Post on Sunday. Pretus, a reported friend of Thompson's, allegedly had consensual sex with the former midshipman at the center of Thompson's case roughly five years ago, the official said.
Pretus was implicated by a former midshipman but has not been charged in the case. He did not respond to multiple calls and emails seeking comment Tuesday. The Academy says the school did not know Pretus had allegedly had an affair with a midshipman while he was an officer, in an alleged violation of fraternization rules.
Thompson was convicted of indecent sexual contact with a midshipman and fraternization back in a high-profile 2013 case. He vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and a subsequent board of inquiry disregarded the verdict and let him stay in the corps anyway. Thompson's three-year battle for his career was the subject of a March feature by The Post.
Then in March new evidence surfaced in the case, first reported by The Washington Post, and once again Thompson was under investigation for misconduct.
That inquiry led Marine judge advocates to Maj. Mike Pretus, who until last week was teaching history at the academy, according to an Navy official familiar with who was not authorized speak on the record about the case.
"The Naval Academy became aware of Pretus' involvement in the Thompson case when Marine Corps prosecutors working on the new case against Thompson approached the academy," the official said.
Pretus reported to the academy in 2014 with three-year orders.
"The Naval Academy had no knowledge of any involvement in this case prior to his receipt of orders here," academy spokesman Cmdr. John Schofield told Navy Times on Monday. "Under no circumstances would the Naval Academy have allowed for assignment on staff and faculty had there been disclosure of the circumstances and details of his involvement in that event."
Pretus has a new set of orders starting in early May, Schofield added, after the academic classes have concluded. Pretus did not respond to phone and email requests for comment.
News of Thompson's case broke three years ago amid mounting an increasing concerns about academy sexual assault. In December 2012, the Pentagon reported that one in seven midshipmen experienced unwanted sexual contact in the prior year. Then in January, Thompson's case went to a preliminary hearing. Two days after it concluded, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus blasted the academy.
"We have failed at the Naval Academy, in terms of preventing this," Mabus said.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
