More former students accuse the U.S. Coast Guard Academy of failing to prevent sexual assaults on campus

Nine more former cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy have accused the prestigious service academy’s proctors of failing to prevent and properly address sexual violence on campus, as well as covering it up.

Wednesday’s allegations come more than a month later 13 former students filed similar federal complaints seeking $10 million per person in damages.

Many of the latest unnamed plaintiffs contacted attorneys in the case after reading news stories about the initial administrative complaints filed against the Coast Guard; its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security; and its former parent agency, the Department of Transportation, said attorney Christine Dunn.

“I’m sure these 22 people are just the tip of the iceberg. “I know that sexual assaults have occurred at the Coast Guard Academy for decades and that there are many survivors,” he said. Of these 22 people, 20 are women and 2 are men.

Dunn said he hopes and expects more former students who were assaulted to come forward.

“I want an army of survivors,” he said. “I think the more people there are, the harder it will be to ignore us.”

The complaints stem from incidents dating from the 1980s to 2017. There are few details about how former students were attacked by classmates in their dorm rooms because academy policy prevents students from locking their doors. A former student said she would sleep at night with a sleeping bag wrapped tightly around her neck because she was so afraid of being sexually assaulted in her sleep.

“The Coast Guard negligently created, condoned, and actively concealed widespread sexual harassment and assault at the Academy, knowingly endangering me and other students,” one of the nine new plaintiffs wrote.

“What happened to me was a completely preventable consequence of negligent actions,” wrote the woman, who said she was sexually assaulted twice during her time at the Academy; one by a class student and one by an officer. Years later, he was diagnosed with depression and PTSD due to Military Sexual Trauma, or MST, and now receives partial disability benefits.

He said the experience at the academy “destroyed” his career and “negatively affected” many of the relationships he had over the years.

A message seeking comment was left with the Coast Guard. Officials said in a statement in September that the service is prohibited by federal law from discussing the complaints and that the agency “devotes significant resources to improving prevention, victim support and accountability.” ”

The complaints came after it was revealed that the Coast Guard had kept secret an investigation into sexual assault and harassment on campus, called Operation Fouled Anchor. The investigation found dozens of cases involving students from 1990 to 2006. mismanaged by the schoolThis includes preventing the prosecution of some perpetrators.

Remarks first reported by CNNIt has sparked calls for major reforms and long-awaited accountability for criminals and those who protect them. There is more than one government and congressional investigations We investigate the mismanagement of serious misbehavior in and outside of school.

Coast Guard officials had previously announced that they would take action changing and improving culture in the academy and the military, in response to allegations made in the Operation Dirty Hoe investigation.

Wednesday’s filing was the first in a multi-step process to attempt to sue the federal government. Following the filing of an administrative complaint, the agency that allegedly caused harm to the plaintiff is given six months or more to investigate the claim. The agency can then resolve or deny the claim. If a claim is denied, the plaintiff can file a federal lawsuit, Dunn said.