On Thursday, more than a dozen ex-U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCA) students who claim to have been sexually assaulted filed complaints seeking damages of $130 million. They accused the school of allowing such violence to continue unchecked.

Former students have filed administrative claims against the U.S. Coast Guard. They claim that the academy, located in New London, Connecticut for almost four decades, has enabled sexual abusers, and has failed to provide victims with protection or recourse.

Christine Dunn, the attorney who represents former students, stated that there are 12 women and 1 man in the group. Each seeks $10 million in damages.

A media report claimed that the Coast Guard covered up decades worth of abuse, and a Senate Subcommittee concluded it humiliated victims and did not deal with perpetrators.

The complaints were filed under federal law, which requires that they be made administratively first before being alleged in court.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said that the service would not be able to discuss the complaints, but will resolve them according to federal law.

The spokesperson stated that the Coast Guard was committed to protecting their workforce, and they are devoting "significant" resources to improve prevention, victim support, and accountability.

Dunn stated that the complaints allege assaults dating from the mid-1980s to the present.

Dunn stated that although federal law allows for complaints to be made within two years after an incident, the clock began only last year when Dunn's clients discovered the Coast Guard was liable for their abuse.

In December, a U.S. Senate Subcommittee heard about allegations of abuse in the academy. This was in response to a CNN report from August 2023 stating that the U.S. Coast Guard had covered up an investigation which revealed a pattern of abuse.

The subcommittee published its own report last month that stated the Coast Guard's shame culture kept victims from coming forward. The report stated that the perpetrators were not properly addressed, and victims did not receive needed medical treatment.

The U.S. Coast Guard's Linda Fagan testified to the subcommittee in June that the agency has "failed at times to ensure that a culture of safety is maintained for all."

(source: Reuters)