NEW LONDON, Conn. - The U.S. Coast Guard apologized Friday for not taking 鈥渁ppropriate action鈥 years ago when it failed to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the service鈥檚 Connecticut academy. The service also acknowledged it did not widely disclose its six-year internal investigation into dozens of cases from 1988 to 2006.
Two U.S. senators on Friday said in a statement that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which has oversight of the Coast Guard, was not informed of the probe until a recent informal briefing with Senate staff. Known as 鈥淥peration Fouled Anchor,鈥 it was conducted from 2014 to 2020.
鈥淭his information is disturbing,鈥 Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin wrote in a joint letter dated Friday to Admiral Linda L. Fagan, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. They demanded documents and records related to the investigation, which identified 62 substantiated incidents of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment that occurred at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, or by academy cadets.
The internal Coast Guard investigation was .
The Democratic senators said they're seeking additional information 鈥渢o determine if the Coast Guard complied with the law and to inform potential legislative actions." Besides documents, they want answers to questions including whether any individuals with substantiated claims are now employed by the Department of Homeland Security, including the Coast Guard, and whether they have security clearances.
Cantwell and Baldwin said the committee staff were told that 42 individuals may have had substantiated claims made against them, 鈥測et it does not appear that the Coast Guard appropriately investigated at the time the incidents were reported" and that some of the accused may have been allowed to rise up in the ranks.
The Coast Guard, in a written statement provided by a spokesperson, acknowledged Friday it 鈥渕ay have further traumatized the victims鈥 and 鈥減revented some cases from being referred to the military justice system for appropriate accountability鈥 by 鈥渘ot having taken appropriate action at the time of the sexual assaults.鈥
鈥淭he Coast Guard owns this failure and apologizes to each of the victims and their loved ones,鈥 the statement said.
The Coast Guard also acknowledged the internal investigation 鈥渨as not disclosed widely at the time鈥 when it was completed in 2020 and the service recognizes 鈥渢ransparency is critical to building the trust not only of victims, but all cadets and personnel at the Academy."
The Coast Guard Investigative Service, according to the statement, became aware in 2014 of a sexual assault allegation that occurred years earlier 鈥渁nd the matter had been mishandled.鈥 The service then conducted a broad investigation that 鈥渇ollowed up on all leads related to sexual assaults that were alleged to have occurred between 1988 and 2006," a period before changes were made to the academy's sexual assault and harassment policies.
The Coast Guard said it ultimately 鈥渢ook action to hold accountable those known perpetrators who remained within CGIS鈥檚 jurisdiction," but did not say how many. The statement also said Coast Guard officials reached out to all known victims and 鈥渋nvited them to individual, in-person meetings to provide each of them with information on their specific cases and access to support services.鈥
The senators noted that two officers accused of misconduct were allowed to retire as commanders and currently have pension and veteran's benefits. Both people, the senators said, were confirmed for promotion by the Senate at least once during the course of the investigation.
鈥淭he Committee was not notified that the officers were under investigation when the Coast Guard provided the promotion lists to the Senate resulting in their confirmation,鈥 they wrote. 鈥淚t is unclear how many other officers had substantiated claims against them, were not disciplined, and remained in positions of leadership or management.鈥
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat whose eastern Connecticut district includes the academy, said the lack of action by the Coast Guard 鈥渓eft dozens of survivors with no pathway to justice or recovery while assailants have been afforded unchecked opportunity to advance their careers" and ultimately prevented Congress from correcting policy gaps.
He noted the lack of disclosure came as the academy was being scrutinized for its handling of , saying the 鈥渓ack of transparency and accountability here is deeply disappointing.鈥
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, called the Coast Guard's failure to protect cadets 鈥渁 shameful legacy鈥 for the service.
Federal officials are aware that unwanted sexual contact has been an issue at the elite academy. A found almost half of female cadets said they were sexually harassed and about one in eight women reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact. Almost 20% of male cadets reported experiencing sexual harassment.
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Associated Press Writers Dave Collins and Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this report.
