Ontario woman fighting U.S. military for 'wrongful death' of ex-husband, an American soldier
CBC
WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.
A Kingsville, Ont., woman is seeking damages from the U.S. military, arguing it was negligent and could have prevented the 2019 death by suicide of her ex-husband, an American soldier.
Kate Kemplin is a dual citizen who worked for the army in the 2000s, and has studied military suicide as well as traumatic brain injuries. Kemplin, who was married to Sgt. 1st Class Michael Froede, has filed two tort claims for damages on behalf of their two daughters.
"There's really no excuse for Michael to not be alive right now," she told CBC News.
The claim originally filed by Kemplin in June 2021 alleges Froede, who was on active duty assigned to U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, died in Baltimore "after several months of exhibiting documented symptoms ignored and dismissed by government medical providers and military command." He was 36.
The claim also argues proper treatment or intervention from Intelligence and Security Command would have prevented his death.
On March 17, the U.S. army denied her right to make the claims, stating the law doesn't allow for derivative claims, including those by family members or survivors "arising out of the circumstances of personal injury or death of a member."
Kemplin is in the process of appealing the decisions.
None of her allegations have been tested in court.
Kemplin and Froede married in 2004 and had two daughters together, later divorcing in 2013. The girls are now 12 and 15.
Kemplin, who is originally from Owen Sound, moved her family from the U.S. to Kingsville, Ont., in 2019, six weeks after Froede's death.
Kemplin is seeking approximately $1 million US per year of service for each of her two children with Froede, a 20-year military veteran. However, she said, her actions are not about the money, and she wants to raise awareness while setting a precedent.
"They [the military] should be very embarrassed about how poorly they've handled suicides within their ranks, and hopefully, this will force a change and hopefully it'll empower other families to do the same," Kemplin said.
Froede's mother, Joanne Wolff, who lives in Albrightsville, Penn., with her other son, Alex, has also filed a $25-million wrongful death claim against the military. According to email correspondence between Wolff and the military, it has yet to reach a decision regarding her claim.
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