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Fort Hood Soldier Sues Army Over Assault
A female soldier has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the U.S. Army after being brutally raped by a convicted serial predator at Fort Hood, alleging the Army failed to warn or protect service members.
Photo of hands, sadness, fear, and violence by M ZHA (@0bserver)
A female soldier who was attacked and raped by a convicted serial predator at Fort Hood has filed a $10 million personal injury complaint against the U.S. Army, alleging that the service was aware of sexual crimes and physical abuse but failed to warn others or implement additional safety measures.
Mayra Diaz, 22, filed the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) administrative complaint on Jan. 20, citing the assault she endured earlier this decade at Fort Hood then known as Fort Cavazos at the hands of Sgt. Greville Clarke. Clarke, an Army noncommissioned officer, was sentenced to life in prison after three weeks of court-martial proceedings for multiple sexual assaults and physical abuse. Over a 19-month period, from March 16, 2021, to Oct. 2, 2022, Clarke attacked five female soldiers in the Fort Hood barracks.
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Clarke was apprehended on Oct. 3, 2022, and held in pretrial confinement throughout the investigation and court-martial. At the time of sentencing, Clarke, 31, was convicted on 29 counts, including rape, sexual assault, attempted premeditated murder, indecent visual records, robbery, physical assault, intent to commit kidnapping, and obstruction of justice. He was found guilty on 29 separate specifications and not guilty on two specifications, including one of attempted premeditated murder and attempted fraudulent use of an access device. Clarke received a sentence of 112.5 years in prison, a reduction in rank to E-1, a dishonorable discharge, and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. He refused to attend his court trial in person. While serving his life sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Clarke died by apparent suicide on Sept. 19, 2025.
Diaz enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 2021, serving as a carpentry and masonry specialist at Fort Hood from approximately February 2022 to August 2023. She was 19 when she arrived at Fort Hood and recalled being warned by peers to exercise caution as a woman living on base.
According to her complaint, on the night of Friday, July 15, 2022, Diaz was alone in her barracks room when she heard loud knocking at her door. Looking through the peephole, she saw an individual in Army uniform. Following prior instructions from sergeants to expect room checks, she opened the door and encountered Clarke, whose face was obscured.
"He lifted his uniform shirt to reveal a handgun and then forced himself into my room," Diaz said in the complaint. Clarke tied her hands above her head with tactical cord, blindfolded her, and put on a condom before raping her. He then forced her to shower, put her on her bed, poured water on her face, and waterboarded her until she choked. Clarke wrapped a cord around her neck in an apparent attempt to kill her, ransacked her room, and stole her room key, military and state IDs, wallet, car keys, electronic devices, bedding, and pillows.
Diaz remained in a semi-conscious state for approximately 36 hours until friends checked on her on Sunday, July 17. She suffered bruises, memory lapses, and oxygen deprivation (anoxia). She was hospitalized at Darnell Army Medical Center, where she began to recall details of the assault and received treatment, including medications for sexually transmitted infections, emergency contraception, and pain management.
Her SHARP representative met her at the hospital, and she filed an unrestricted report. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents arrived later that day to begin the investigation. Diaz described her injuries as severe, including blood in her urine and inadequate lung function, necessitating observation in the hospital.
Diaz was released from the hospital on or about July 21, 2022, and returned to California on leave until Aug. 22, 2022. While some friends on base were aware of her attack, the Army made no official warning to the broader Fort Hood community. She briefly returned to Fort Hood in August 2022 but faced fear and resistance when requesting to move to family housing. Diaz only became aware of other victims after Clarke’s court-martial in Spring 2025.
Diaz is represented by Christine Dunn and associate Jillian Seymour of Sanford Heisler, a firm specializing in sexual violence and victims’ rights cases. Dunn said Clarke was culpable, but the Army also bears responsibility for failing Diaz.
"What happened to her was preventable," Dunn said. “She should never have had to go through the horrific events that she went through. And so, she wants the Army to be held accountable so that this kind of thing never happens to anyone else.”
Seymour added that Fort Hood has seen a high rate of sexual assaults compared to other military installations. "Part of that has to do with safety measures that are put in place, especially in the barracks to make sure that these female soldiers are protected," she said. “Time and again, we've just seen the Army fail on doing that and keeping the premises safe there at Fort Hood.”
Diaz’s experience left her military career derailed, with lasting emotional effects. The timing of the complaint is tied to her learning the full scope of Clarke’s attacks on other women, which she was unaware of until her attorney informed her in Spring 2025.
The complaint highlights broader concerns about safety in military housing, where access control and communication are critical. Experts note that proper equipment, such as a High Speed Gear Radio Pop-UP Taco—MOLLE compatible communication pouch that fits multiple radio devices can be vital for security teams to maintain rapid communication and respond to threats effectively. Had such systems been widely available and actively used at Fort Hood, advocates argue, earlier warnings or interventions might have been possible, potentially preventing attacks like those Diaz suffered.
In a related development, the same firm filed FTCA complaints on Dec. 15, 2025, on behalf of seven Jane Does sexually abused or non-consensually videotaped by Army doctor Blaine McGraw at Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood and Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Editor's Note:
This report highlights ongoing concerns over the safety of female soldiers at Fort Hood, emphasizing the need for accountability and stronger protective measures within military installations.
