9 former Coast Guard cadets join legal fight and demand $10 million each for failure of the service to prevent sexual assaults

A years-long cover-up of sexual assault and harassment at the Coast Guard Academy has led to nine former students filing legal complaints seeking $10 million from the university for knowingly endangering themselves and others. (Photo by Petty Officer Matt Thieme/U.S. Coast Guard.)

Another nine former Coast Guard Academy cadets are seeking $10 million each from the service, alleging that officials tolerated and actively covered up rampant sexual assault and harassment of students that knowingly put themselves and others in danger, according to legal documents filed on Wednesday.

They join 13 other former cadets who have made similar claims last monthall describe sexual misconduct that has not been investigated on the New London, Conn., campus. Each claim was submitted separately by 19 women, two men and one non-binary person.

“The Coast Guard has followed the same pattern for decades: delay, deny and wait for survivors to surrender,” said Ryan Melogy, an attorney for the group. “But these brave individuals have found their collective voice and are demanding real accountability. The old block and mute playbook won’t work against clients who are determined to see real change.

Service officials said they were aware of the additional claims but federal law prohibits discussing details and repeated a statement made last month.

“Sexual assault and sexual harassment have no place in our service,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. “The Coast Guard is committed to protecting our workforce and providing a safe and respectful environment that eliminates sexual assault, sexual harassment and other harmful conduct.”

The legal complaints follow a yearlong review of the Coast Guard Academy that began with revelations that the service withheld a report that showed academy officials routinely mishandled reports of sexual assault among midshipmen. The report, known as Operation Fouled Anchor, was the result of a six-year internal review of 102 reports of incidents of sexual assault and harassment at the academy between 1990 and 2006.

Fouled Anchor’s existence only came to light after CNN learned of the report and the Coast Guard’s 2020 decision not to publish it. Only after a news station reported on Operation Fouled Anchor did Coast Guard officials take it to Congress. Since then, congressional committees and the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general have launched investigations into the cover-up, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service has begun investigating Fouled Anchor cases.

The legal claims filed by the former cadets were filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act, a law that allows people to take legal action against the federal government for negligence towards its employees. This is a required first step towards a lawsuit. Each $10 million claim was filed against the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation, which oversaw the Coast Guard until 2003.

Attorneys released copies of legal documents but redacted former cadets’ names and other identifying information.

One woman described how investigators told her they had discovered enough evidence of her rape to court-martial her attacker, but authorities instead chose to discharge him from the academy. Later, other cadets and staff blamed her for ruining his career.

“My time at the academy was the worst four years of my life. I wanted to leave and I tried, but I couldn’t afford it. I felt embarrassed by my attacker’s classmates, who constantly spread rumors about me. This stigma has followed me throughout my career in the Coast Guard,” the woman wrote in the complaint.

Another woman described three separate assaults she experienced at the academy – the first when she was just 17 – and the abuse and harassment that followed, according to legal documents. The Coast Guard subsequently deemed the woman unfit for duty due to post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and fainting related to military sexual trauma.

She was denied a diploma even though she met all the requirements until her family hired a lawyer.

While an investigation into the Fouled Anchor cover-up continues, the Coast Guard said it has begun implementing reforms. In July 2023, Adm. Linda Fagan, the service’s chief executive, led the accountability and transparency review, which recommended that the service devote significant resources to improving prevention, victim support and accountability.

“The Coast Guard remains committed to lasting institutional and cultural change by providing a safe and respectful environment that does not tolerate harm,” the service said in a statement.