Report: Former US Coast Guard leader covered up investigation into rapes and sexual assaults at the agency’s academy

An investigation by CNN has exposed that the former leader of the United States Coast Guard, Commandant Karl L. Schultz, concealed a significant inquiry into rapes and sexual assaults at the Coast Guard Academy. This concealment occurred despite Admiral Paul Zukunft, his predecessor, having intentions to disclose the investigation.

The inquiry, codenamed Operation Fouled Anchor, was initiated under Admiral Zukunft’s leadership and unveiled a troubling history of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy. The investigation brought to light numerous incidents of rapes and assaults that occurred between the late 1980s and 2006.

However, despite the revelations, the leadership at the academy during Schultz’s tenure prioritized the institution’s reputation over the welfare of the victims.

Evidence, including internal documents and interviews with those involved in the investigation, indicates that Schultz and his second-in-command, Admiral Charles W. Ray, kept the operation and its findings hidden. CNN’s findings reveal that the concealment was so extensive that officials with access to case materials were required to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, where the academy is located, labeled the suppression of investigation findings as “probably the most shameful, disgraceful incident of cover-up of sexual assault that I have seen in the United States military ever.”

Admiral Zukunft disclosed to CNN that his plans encompassed briefing Congress and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as publicly apologizing to the victims identified by Operation Fouled Anchor. He emphasized the importance of addressing such matters promptly, stating “I’m a big believer that bad news, like dead fish, don’t get better with time.” However, his retirement marked Schultz’s ascension to leadership before these intentions could be realized.

Zukunft, who initiated Operation Fouled Anchor in 2014, underscored the significance of the investigation and expressed his disbelief that authorities did not brief Congress or publicly share the findings once the final report was issued in January 2020. He emphasized the moral obligation to provide victims with emotional closure, stating “At a bare minimum, we owed it to these victims to provide some sense of emotional closure.”

Presently, lawmakers are demanding explanations regarding the secrecy surrounding the investigation and the failure to share the planned disclosures.

Linda Fagan, the current Coast Guard Commandant succeeding Schultz, has extended apologies to the victims and committed to enhanced transparency moving forward. During a congressional subcommittee hearing in July, she likened the organization’s need for improvement to addressing rust on a ship, stating “Just like on a ship when you have rust, we’ve got pockets of rust that need to be eliminated from the organization.”