Protect Our Defenders Offers Free Legal Support for Servicemembers as Fort Hood Investigation Raises Concerns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2025
Brian Purchia, brian@protectourdefenders.com
After hearing from concerned anonymous sources, POD urges anyone impacted to contact its Pro Bono Legal Network, which has supported survivors and helped secure convictions in recent Stockin and Batt cases
Washington, DC – In response to reports that a medical provider at Fort Hood’s Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center has been suspended amid an investigation by Army CID into patient allegations, Protect Our Defenders (POD) is urging servicemembers and veterans who may have been impacted to reach out for free, confidential legal help through its Pro Bono Legal Network.
The announcement comes as the military faces an escalating sexual assault crisis. More than 100 victims accused Army doctor Maj. Michael Stockin of sexual assault – one of the largest scandals in recent history – which led to his conviction and 13-year prison sentence. Protect Our Defenders helped expose the case, providing pro bono legal support through our legal network and pressing Congress and the Pentagon for accountability.
Fort Hood officials have not released the provider’s name or the nature of the allegations, but the investigation has prompted the Army to contact patients treated by the provider. Earlier this year, POD supported survivors in two of the most significant military sexual assault cases in recent memory – including the Stockin case, involving an Army doctor accused of abusing more than 100 servicemembers under his medical care, and the Batt case, where the Navy failed to protect and support survivors of assault. Both perpetrators were found guilty, marking hard-fought victories for survivors and underscoring the importance of independent legal representation. In both instances, POD connected survivors with its pro bono attorneys to provide legal counsel and guidance through the military justice process.
“We’ve heard from numerous sources who are deeply concerned survivors do not know where to turn to obtain legal support,” said Nancy Parrish, President of Protect Our Defenders. “When allegations like this at Fort Hood surface, too many survivors are left without answers or support. Our team and pro bono legal network stand ready to help anyone affected get the information and representation they deserve – completely free of charge.”
For a dozen years, Protect Our Defenders’ Legal & Advocacy Service Program and its Pro Bono Legal Network have connected servicemembers, veterans, their families, and civilians with experienced civilian attorneys who provide direct, independent legal support in military sexual assault, harassment, and whistleblower cases.
Servicemembers affected by this or similar cases can contact POD’s Legal Services Program directly at: https://www.protectourdefenders.com/intake/
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About Protect Our Defenders: Protect Our Defenders is the pre-eminent national human rights organization dedicated to ending sexual violence, victim retaliation, misogyny, sexual prejudice, and racism in the military and combating a culture that has allowed it to persist. We seek to honor, support and give voice to the brave women and men in uniform who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country, and re-victimized by the military adjudication system – a system that often blames the victim and fails to prosecute the perpetrator. Learn more about Protect Our Defenders at www.protectourdefenders.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ProtectOurDefenders or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ProtectRDfnders.
