Coast Guard Academy’s Sexual Assault Scandal Deepens as More Victims File Claims

Seven new Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) administrative complaints have been filed today against the U.S. Coast Guard on behalf of sexual assault survivors who were cadets or prospective cadets at the Coast Guard Academy, according to the law firm representing the cadets.

The latest legal action brings the total number of former Academy cadets represented in similar claims to 29, marking what is believed to be the first collective action of its kind against a U.S. service academy.

The complaints, filed by Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight attorneys, allege systematic failures by the Coast Guard to protect cadets from sexual violence. Christine Dunn, Partner and Co-Chair of the Sexual Violence, Title IX, and Victims’ Rights Practice Group, is leading the legal team alongside associate Jillian Seymour and Ryan Melogy of Maritime Legal Solutions, PLLC.

The complaints list the U.S. Coast Guard, its parent agency the Department of Homeland Security; and its former parent agency, the Department of Transportation, as defendants.

“Additional Coast Guard Academy sexual assault survivors continue to reach out to me,” said Dunn. “The Coast Guard can no longer be allowed to sweep sexual assault under the rug. My clients are standing together and demanding that the Coast Guard be held accountable for allowing a culture to flourish at the Academy where sexual assault was condoned.”

The legal actions come in the wake of Operation Fouled Anchor (OFA), an investigation exposed by CNN in 2023 that revealed decades of inadequate handling of sexual assault claims at the Academy and the intentional concealment of the investigative report from Congress. The scandal led to congressional hearings and may have also contributed, in part, to the removal of Admiral Linda Fagan from her position as Commandant of the Coast Guard in January 2025.

Several complaints detail disturbing incidents enabled by the Academy’s policy prohibiting cadets from locking their doors. In one case, a cadet reported waking up to find an intoxicated, naked male classmate sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.

In response to these incidents, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025, introduced in February, proposes mandatory installation of electronic locking mechanisms for cadet rooms. This requirement addresses a safety concern that has been raised by victims and Coast Guard personnel for over 25 years.

“Decades of documented moral failures by leaders of the U.S. Coast Guard have made it clear to Congress, the public, and survivors that the agency is unwilling to take steps needed to protect Coast Guard Academy cadets from systemic sexual abuse,” said Melogy.

Under the FTCA process, the Coast Guard has six months to investigate these claims before the alleged victims can proceed with federal lawsuits.

The development represents a significant challenge to the maritime service academy’s handling of sexual assault cases and could set precedents for accountability in military educational institutions.

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