Four women who say they were subjected to sexual assault and harassment at the US Coast Guard Academy testified to Congress on Tuesday about how they were silenced, retaliated against and left battling severe mental trauma while alleged perpetrators continued to thrive within the service.
Their testimony, at times highly critical of the agency and at others deeply emotional, prompted senators on both sides of the political aisle to lambast current and former Coast Guard leaders. The hearing was sparked by CNN’s reporting on the results of a secret investigation — dubbed Operation Fouled Anchor — that substantiated dozens of sexual assaults at the Coast Guard Academy.
Senators from the Homeland Security Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said they were stunned that Coast Guard leaders, for years, had knowingly concealed reports of sexual misconduct and failed to hold accountable past perpetrators and the officials who covered up their dangerous and criminal behavior. Several lawmakers said it was time to start naming names.
Read the rest of the story at CNN, here.
