A 30th sex assault claim filed against Coast Guard Academy

New London — A 30th sexual assault complaint was filed Tuesday against the U.S. Coast Guard, a law firm representing former Coast Guard Academy cadets announced. Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight said it filed the latest claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, as it had in the 29 previous cases involving former cadets it represents, including 26 women, two men and one non-binary individual. The firm filed 13 claims last September, followed by nine claims in October and seven this past March. The former cadet in the complaint filed Tuesday, referred to as "Jane Doe 30," alleges she was sexually assaulted by a classmate at the academy and later was repeatedly tormented, causing her emotional distress that forced her to withdraw from the school, the law firm said. According to a redacted version of the complaint, provided by the firm, the woman continues to suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD. "Today's additional filing demonstrates that there are more academy survivors out there and that they keep coming forward," Christine Dunn, a Sanford Heisler partner, said in a news release. "Each time another sexual assault survivor speaks out, it amplifies the demand for justice and accountability." In a statement Wednesday, a spokeswoman in the Coast Guard's Office of Public Affairs said the Coast Guard is prohibited from discussing details of the latest claim or any other claim. "Sexual assault and sexual harassment have no place in our service," Lt. Krystal Wolfe wrote. "The Coast Guard is committed to protecting our workforce and ensuring a safe environment that eliminates sexual assault and sexual harassment, and has devoted significant resources to improving prevention, victim support, and accountability." The latest complaint alleges the Coast Guard's failure to implement adequate policies and practices allowed sexual violence to go unchecked at the academy, resulting in harm to the woman. It further alleges the Coast Guard condoned and actively concealed the rampant nature of sexual assault and harassment of academy students, knowingly placing the woman and other cadets in danger. Under the FTCA, individuals may bring legal claims against federal agencies for acts committed by their employees. Before filing a lawsuit in court, an individual must first file an administrative complaint with the agency allegedly at fault. The agency then has six months to investigate the claim. The earliest claims were filed more that six months ago. "However, in FTCA cases, the agency often takes longer than six months to investigate," Dunn said in an email. "Here, we have recently filed additional complaints. We expect the Coast Guard will consider all the complaints collectively, to some extent. Therefore, we aren't surprised that this process is taking longer than six months." Sanford Heisler has filed all of the claims against the Coast Guard; its parent agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and its former parent agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation. The claims, each of which seeks $10 million in damages, are believed to be the first collective action by sexual violence survivors against a U.S. service academy. The complaints have come in the wake of the Coast Guard's mishandling of "Operation Fouled Anchor," its internal investigation of decades of sexual misconduct at the academy. CNN, the cable news network, revealed the existence of the report in 2023, prompting hearings and ongoing investigations by congressional panels. b.hallenbeck@theday.com Editor's note: This version adds the Coast Guard's statement.