Thirteen former students of the US Coast Guard Academy have filed administrative claims seeking $130 million in damages, alleging the institution enabled sexual violence and failed to protect victims or provide recourse.
The group, comprising 12 women and one man, claims the academy in New London, Connecticut, allowed sexual abusers to go unchecked for nearly four decades.
Each claimant is seeking $10 million in damages, citing assaults that occurred from the mid-1980s to the present. Attorney Christine Dunn argued that the two-year statute of limitations did not apply, as her clients only became aware of the Coast Guard’s liability last year.
The US Coast Guard has faced scrutiny since a media report alleged a cover-up of decades of abuse, and a Senate subcommittee found that the Coast Guard shamed victims and failed to hold perpetrators accountable. The Coast Guard has committed to improving prevention, victim support, and accountability, devoting “significant resources” to these efforts.
The administrative claims are a precursor to a potential lawsuit, and the Coast Guard has stated it will resolve them in accordance with federal law.
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