Cantwell, Baldwin Want More Answers, Accountability From Coast Guard Following Disclosure of "Operation Fouled Anchor" and Decades-Long, Hidden Reports of Sexual Assault

Press Release

"We write to express our grave concern regarding the reports of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment at the United States Coast Guard Academy between 1988 and 2006 and the Coast Guard's lack of action to properly and timely investigate, prosecute, and report these criminal acts. We are also concerned about the Coast Guard's failure to disclose its investigation that began in 2014 and ended in 2020, the withholding of which some have described as intentional."

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"It is unclear how many other officers had substantiated claims against them, were not disciplined, and remained in positions of leadership or management."

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"We understand from the Coast Guard that the "operation' revealed Coast Guard leaders had knowledge of, and in some cases received formal or informal complaints or other disclosures of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment yet did nothing. More disturbingly, some of these leaders discouraged survivors from filing formal complaints or otherwise disclosing their assaults."

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"We must resolve the past to build a better future for the Coast Guard, and in this case, that means pursuing full accountability for perpetrators and investing in meaningful support for survivors."

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