At the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, former cadets were subjected to humiliating and sexualized service traditions and practices and felt unsafe in bedrooms without locks, leaving them vulnerable to assaults in their own beds, according to federal filings.
Former cadets detailed the abusive culture at the Connecticut military academy with examples of traditions and policies that “not only failed to protect women, but some policies enabled perpetrators to sexually harass us,” as one former cadet wrote in their complaint. The experiences caused some to carry shame throughout their careers, while others left the service entirely and suffered mental and physical ailments related to their trauma, according to nine administrative complaints filed against the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security earlier this week.
“For decades, the academy has failed to prioritize cadets’ safety. Not only has there been a culture where sexual assault is tolerated, but also many of the policies in place have substantially increased the risk of harm,” Christine Dunn, a lawyer representing the victims said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “For example, historically, cadets have not been allowed to lock their bedroom doors. As a result, many cadets were sexually assaulted as they slept in their beds. The academy needs to take a hard look at how it can better protect cadets.”
The new filings add to allegations from 13 former cadet filed in September by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight and Maritime Legal Solutions — bringing the total to 22 complaints that are part of what the firm said is “the first known collective action by sexual violence survivors against a United States service academy.” The complaints include two men, 19 women and one non-binary individual and go as far back as the 1980s with the most recent one from 2017.
The complaints were filed ahead of a formal Federal Tort Claims Act filing which is a mechanism for bringing legal claims against the government for negligence or wrongful acts by federal employees. The Coast Guard and DHS will have six months to investigate the claim and can choose to settle the claim or deny it which would give lawyers another six months to file a lawsuit in court.
One former cadet, known as Jane Doe 13, described in their filing that the sexual violence was so pervasive and institutionalized that “it seemed like the medical clinic on campus expected students to be sexually assaulted.” The cadet said that even though they were not sexually active, the medical officer told them they “needed to go on birth control” and alleges that the officer said: “You never know what might happen.”
A spokesperson for the academy told Task & Purpose that the service cannot comment on any pending litigation but said in a statement that they are aware of the claims and will process them in accordance with the FTCA.
In July 2023, the Commandant directed an accountability and transparency review which means devoting resources to “improving prevention, victim support, and accountability.”
“Sexual assault and sexual harassment have no place in our service,” the spokesperson said. “The Coast Guard is unwavering in our commitment to lasting institutional and cultural change, ensuring a safe and respectful environment that is intolerant of harm.”
Privacy and safety
John Doe 15 said one commanding officer allowed male cadets and enlisted officers to watch porn in public areas on the boat “which prevented women from being able to talk to these spaces.”
Several former students described safety and privacy concerns in regard to their bedrooms on campus. Jane Doe 21 said in her complaint that she was assaulted by a male cadet while asleep in bed because “very few rooms at the academy had locks on them, and we were not allowed to use them.” The former cadet also said that she and her roommates began sleeping in a sleeping bag “with the opening shut tight as a method of self-protection.”
Jane Doe 20 said they had an open-door policy, which restricted them to keep their doors open, except between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Jane Doe 15 said their company cadet executive officer had access keys to every room in the company, including all female cadets, which that officer used to enter the cadet’s room and assault them. The former cadet said what occurred in the room “was so traumatic” they blacked out and have been unable to “retrieve any further memory of that weekend.”
A spokesperson for the academy told Task & Purpose that all Chase Hall Barracks rooms have locks. The academy maintains an open-door policy from Monday to Friday, from 7:40 a.m. to 4 p.m. and during daily military training from 7 to 8 p.m.
“At all other times cadets can close and lock their doors,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Coast Guard Academy has spent $8 million to enhance security measures including electronic locking systems and additional security cameras.
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The filings allege that when cadets went on out-of-state trips, they were also subjected to little privacy, with Doe 15 explaining that female cadets were forced to share hotel rooms with males because the officer who oversaw expenditures “was not ensuring that enough rooms were booked to separate all of the cadets” into “separate rooms based on their gender.”
Common practices
At basic training, cadets were expected to keep their rooms “inspection-ready” with their clothing folded in a “disciplined way.” Jane Doe 20 said in her complaint that she noticed during inspections her bras and underwear were “touched, moved, and occasionally stolen.”
As part of a punishment for leaving their room window open, the former cadet said their roommate was sent to get her in the shower and they arrived at their room “shampoo still dripping from my wet hair and was met by three male trainers.” While push-ups were more “routine physical punishment for infractions,” the trainers demanded leg lifts which the cadet saw as a “purposeful and unusual choice.” The cadet was forced to do leg lifts in a towel while she “exposed [her] naked body” to the three male trainers “administering the physical punishment.”
“All instances of physical training during initial accession training are strictly monitored and regulated through the cadet training curriculum. Physical punishment for cadet regulation infractions is not permitted at the academy,” an academy spokesperson said in a statement.
The Coast Guard’s Discipline and Conduct Manual defines hazing as conduct that can “physically or psychologically injure or create a risk of physical or psychological injury” to service members for initiations or ceremonial changes of status or positions in a military or DHS organization.
The manual acknowledges that some units have “condoned hazing incidents at initiations as innocent jests without intent to harm” but states that while some observers may consider it humorous, “they often create a real fear in the victims’ minds.” The manual prohibits hazing and bullying “including off-duty or in ‘unofficial’ unit functions and settings.”
The same cadet also said that as a first-year student, she was “required to meet social obligations by attending all formal dances with a date.” Before the formal dance, first-year cadets were lined up in a hallway and “doused with a mixture of all the cadets’ perfume and after-shave.”
The academy spokesperson told Task & Purpose that attendance for formal dances and other social engagements is required for cadets as part of the military etiquette curriculum but said “there is no requirement to attend with a guest.”
Dunn, the lawyer representing 22 former cadets, said the firms are seeking $10 million in damages for each client.