Coast Guard leaders at the U.S. Coast Guard concealed the findings of an investigation into sexual assault cases at the agency's academy. The investigation, called Operation Fouled Anchor, found that rapes and sexual abuse at the Coast Guard Academy had been ignored and covered up by high-ranking officials. The leaders created a list of pros and cons of being transparent about the investigation, with the cons including intense scrutiny, demands for review of all sexual assault cases, and extensive media coverage. The Coast Guard only informed Congress about the investigation after CNN started making inquiries. The records, which do not have identifiable authors, recommended providing information to Congress only if asked. The Coast Guard has acknowledged it was a mistake not to disclose the investigation and is cooperating with the Senate investigation. The Commandant at the time, Admiral Karl Schultz, and Vice Commandant Admiral Charles Ray, who wrote a handwritten list of pros and cons, were involved in the decision to conceal the investigation. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Senator Ron Johnson are leading an investigation into the Coast Guard's lack of transparency and cooperation. They have proposed legislation to protect Coast Guard Academy cadets who report sexual assault and harassment. The Coast Guard has provided over 36,000 pages of material in response to ongoing investigations, including congressional inquiries and a probe by the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General. A House Oversight inquiry is also examining the Coast Guard's handling of misconduct. The Coast Guard's duties include law enforcement, search and rescue, and patrolling in U.S. territorial waters and waterways. [4285a0a4]
Admiral Linda L. Fagan, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, assured senators that she is not attempting to cover up the branch's failure to handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the service academy in Connecticut. Fagan stated that she is committed to transparency and accountability and is cooperating with congressional investigations and providing requested documents. However, senators expressed frustration with the lack of documents provided and the heavy redaction of the documents that have been provided. The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability also complained about receiving only 8,338 pages of the requested 1.8 million pages. The hearing followed the public letter from the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Shannon Norenberg, accusing the Coast Guard of using her as part of a cover-up of the Operation Fouled Anchor internal investigation into cases of sexual harassment and assault at the academy from 1988 to 2006. Norenberg resigned from her position and accused the Coast Guard of reneging on a plan to offer the victims included in the report with a government form that would enable them to receive sexual trauma services through the Veterans Administration. Fagan stated that Norenberg's allegations will be part of the ongoing Office of Inspector General investigation. [24c07316]
The Supreme Court of India has criticized the Indian government for its 'patriarchal' approach to women's permanent commission in the Coast Guard. The court questioned why the Coast Guard should be treated differently when the Army and Navy have already implemented the policy. The Chief Justice emphasized that if women can protect the borders, they can also protect the coasts. The court's remarks came during a hearing of a petition by a woman Coast Guard short service appointment officer, Priyanka Tyagi, who is seeking parity with male officers for permanent commission. The court referred to its 2020 judgment that directed the Army to grant permanent commission to women officers, rejecting the government's argument of 'physiological limitations and social norms.' The court urged the government to show its commitment to 'women power' and ensure equal opportunities for women in the Coast Guard. [b261654c]
A congressional Commission on Appointments hearing for the promotion of military officers to higher ranks and to hear complaints of marital infidelity. The wife of an army brigadier general tearfully testifies to her husband's abusive behavior and neglect of his family, with their daughter's corroboration. The general's wife sought assistance from the AFP and filed complaints with the Office of the Ethical Standards and Public Accountability (OESPA) at the Army headquarters. The general's promotion is deferred pending his signing a waiver and allocating a portion of his salary for his wife and children. [b68adedf]
Hampton Roads installations are at the center of the biggest military justice overhaul in a generation. Congress enacted reforms to the military justice system, driven by mishandling of sexual assault cases. Commanders no longer decide whether cases involving 13 high-profile crimes will go to court. Each branch of military justice is required to create Offices of the Special Trial Counsel to prosecute cases. Norfolk has the highest concentration of sexual assault cases in the Navy and will have ten special counsel attorneys to handle 500 cases a year. The reforms are considered one of the largest overhauls of military justice since the Uniform Code of Military Justice was signed into law in 1950. Additional reforms include commanders no longer having a say in the pool of jurors and sexual harassment becoming a stand-alone crime in the military starting in 2025. [99a15e4a]
Military justice is undergoing its biggest overhaul in a generation, as the services grapple with sexual assault. Victims say they have a long way to go. [f3bc0b9b]
Jane Willenbring, a scientist, was the first to blow the whistle on sexual harassment and assault in Antarctica. She filed a Title IX complaint in October 2016 against her harasser, David Marchant, a geologist at Boston University. In November 2017, the university concluded its investigation and determined that Marchant had sexually harassed Willenbring, leading to termination proceedings. In February 2018, allegations of sexual harassment, sexual coercion, and bullying on the inaugural Homeward Bound expedition to Antarctica were published by the environmental news site Grist. In August 2022, a report by the National Science Foundation revealed that 59 percent of women at McMurdo and other field stations in Antarctica had experienced sexual harassment or assault. Leidos, a central employer with a $2.3 billion government contract to manage the workplaces on the ice, has been implicated in the mishandling of these cases. The harassment of female scientists in Antarctica not only affects their well-being but also hinders their research on climate change. [a8e1d0cc]