US Coast Guard Academy Students Seek $130 Million Over Alleged Sexual Assaults

Cadets attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony in New London, Conn., on May 19, 2021. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

A group of more than a dozen former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Academy students filed complaints with the USCG on Sept. 5, alleging they were victims of sexual assault and that the school allowed the abuse to go unchecked.

The complaints are not publicly available, but Christine Dunn, the attorney representing the former students, told Reuters that the alleged victims—12 women and one man—are seeking $130 million in damages, or $10 million each.

Dunn said the students filed administrative claims with the USCG, alleging that the academy in Connecticut enabled sexual abusers and failed to protect victims or provide recourse for nearly four decades.

The complaints were brought under a federal law that requires them to be filed administratively before being alleged in a lawsuit in federal courts.

Dunn did not return The Epoch Times’ requests for comment and copies of the complaints before publication time.

A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the USCG had received the claims but federal law prevents them from discussing the details.

“The Coast Guard will resolve the claims in accordance with the Federal Tort Claims Act and any other applicable law,” the spokesperson said, adding that sexual assault and sexual harassment have no place in the service.

“The Coast Guard is committed to protecting our workforce and ensuring a safe and respectful environment that eliminates sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other harmful behaviors,” the spokesperson said.

The agency noted that in July 2023, the USCG Commandant directed an Accountability and Transparency Review, through which the USCG is providing resources “to improving prevention, victim support, and accountability.”

“The Coast Guard is unwavering in our commitment to lasting institutional and cultural change, and ensuring a safe and respectful environment that is intolerant of harm,” the spokesperson said.

The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report on Aug. 7 detailing its investigation into the allegations. Subcommittee members spoke to more than 80 people—current and former academy cadets and enlisted members—who came forward as whistleblowers.

“These stories, spanning from the 1970s through the 2020s, depict systemic failures at the Coast Guard Academy and in the Coast Guard—including barriers to reporting, retaliation, reprisal, and a culture that failed to take seriously sexual harassment and violence among its ranks—that continue to this day,” the report said.

In her testimony to the subcommittee on June 11, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan said that many Coast Guard members have not been experiencing the safe work environment they deserve and that there has been an erosion of trust among Coast Guard leadership.

“The Coast Guard is committed to transparency as we work to improve Service climate and culture, prevent sexual assault and harassment, and enhance care and recovery resources for victims,” Fagan said. “Rebuilding trust within our workforce is our top priority, and it starts with removing barriers to reporting, ensuring accountability, and promoting transparency from senior leadership.”