A retired Army doctor's Virginia medical license has been suspended after allegations that he employed improper training methods while working with military medical students, including providing large amounts of alcohol to them during instruction and manipulating and photographing the genitals of an inebriated participant.

Retired Lt. Col. (Dr). John Henry Hagmann faces a June 19 hearing regarding the allegations, detailed in a report published by the Virginia Board of Medicine in March and first reported by Reuters earlier this week. They involve multiple events and more than two dozen students from 2012 and 2013 while Hagmann was working under the banner of Deployment Medicine International, a company he founded in 2001 which that claims to be "the single largest trainer of U.S. military forces in operational medicine."

Hagmann told Reuters that his techniques were standard practices, and denied allegations that he'd received "sexual gratification" from at least one of the incidents in question.

An Army spokeswoman did not reply to an email seeking comment on the case. A Uniformed Services University spokeswoman told Reuters that the school ended its relationship with Hagmann after a student accused him of improper behavior and referred the case to the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; a spokeswoman with the DoD inspector general said that agency does not confirm, deny or comment upon ongoing investigations.

  • After a July 8, 2013, session in Partlow, Virginia, about a 90-minute drive south of Washington, D.C., a student remained on premises, drank beer with Hagmann and "allowed him to examine, manipulate and photograph his penis" for what Hagmann allegedly described as training purposes. The subject "stated that he was inebriated and felt that he could not refuse Dr. Hagmann's request."
  • Another participant in the July emergency medical skills course told investigators that Hagmann "recommended a 'private' prostate exam" after having difficulty passing a catheter through the student, then conducted a rectal exam that "took longer than expected and made me feel uncomfortable."
  • A course in North Carolina in or around July 2013 involved participants drinking eight or more ounces of 80-proof rum in about 10 minutes, some of whom received ketamine injections an hour later. Investigators allege Hagmann left some of the individuals who suffered adverse effects from the proceedings in the care of others, despite being "the only licensed health care provider present."
  • Another course in North Carolina in July involved students watching a video on a catheterization process, then being "encouraged" by Hagmann to practice the procedure on one another. One participant told investigators that she "performed the procedure without adequate instruction," alleging the doctor withheld the guidance "because previously, she had been critical of the live tissue training portion of the course."

'Horrified' by accusations

Such live-tissue training has put DMI, Hagmann's company, in the cross hairs of animal-rights activists. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals mentioned the allegations in a recent web post which focused on DMI contractors' instruction methods using live animals.

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., sent a letter last week to Defense Secretary Ash Carter regarding the allegations. He requested that Carter investigate the claims, saying, "If true, these actions represent serious lapses in judgement and character, as well as oversight by the Department of Defense."

"I know you are as horrified as I am by what has been revealed here," wrote Johnson, who requested a response within 15 days.

About Kevin Lilley

Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.

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