Five current and former members of the Coast Guard detailed their experiences with sexual harassment and assault during an emotional hearing in New London Thursday.
“Have you ever had a nightmare where you’re in a crowd of people and someone is after you but, you can’t scream or run, that is what it felt like for me serving in the coast guard,” Former Seaman Meghan Lori Klement said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, organized the field hearing at Connecticut College as part the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations’ inquiry into the Coast Guard.
That inquiry included a 48-page report detailing accounts from victims who said they were sexually harassed or assaulted.
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Ret. Lt. Cmdr. Tina Owen said her experience motivated her to provide a safe space for other victims to share their stories with her.
“I am here to tell you they were raped, they were harassed,” she said.
Many also said Coast Guard officials dicouraged them from coming forward and retaliated against them if they did file complaints.
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“The leadership of the coast guard have put their own reputations and their own careers ahead of the coast guard itself,” Blumenthal said.
The hearing did not include officials from the Coast Guard but a spokesman for the branch issued a statement.
The spokesperson pointed to 33 directives from Commandant Linda Fagan last November.
“Our progress completing 18 of these directed actions so far represents the early stages of enduring change that will ensure every person in the Coast Guard experiences a safe work environment where they are respected and valued,” the spokesperson said.
But the survivors who spoke Thursday questioned the commitment for broader changes within the Coast Guard.
They noted current members coming forward with complaints of incidents in recent years. They also pointed to reports that the Coast Guard conducted its own investigation, Operation Fouled Anchor, in 2020 but decided to bury the report instead of act on it.
“I love the Coast Guard, I still do but there’s a certain part of the Coast Guard that’s completely broken,” Ret. Chief Warrant Officer Shawna Christine Ward said.
Blumenthal, too, questioned the Coast Guard’s commitment, saying the branch stalled handing over requested documents until his committee threatened subpoenas.
The committee hopes to issue a final report before the end of the year that will include recommendations for the Coast Guard.
Blumenthal declined to provide specifics, but said two key focuses are on having independent reviews of sexual misconduct complaints and on holding retired personnel accountable.
Some survivors said Thursday that the Coast Guard dragged out their cases until the perpetrators retired, escaping punishment.
Blumenthal said retirement should not protect officers who failed to act or retaliated against victims.
“Retirement shouldn't provide an absolute shield of immunity,” he said. He also said Congress could force changes if the Coast Guard doesn’t adopt recommendations. This could include using the budget process to force reforms.
