U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal released a report highlighting firsthand accounts of sexual assault, harassment, and misconduct within the Coast Guard. The report, titled “A Pervasive Problem: Voices of Coast Guard Sexual Assault and Harassment Survivors,” includes testimonies from over 80 whistleblowers dating back to the 1970s. Blumenthal stated that sexual assault and harassment are fleet-wide issues in the Coast Guard, affecting both enlisted members and officers as well as cadets at the Coast Guard Academy.
The release of the report precedes a hearing at Connecticut College where three whistleblowers are expected to testify before Blumenthal. The report aims to shed light on the experiences of survivors who have long felt unheard and unseen within the Coast Guard. One whistleblower, Shannon Norenberg, resigned from her position as a sexual assault response coordinator at the Coast Guard Academy after being directed to “lie” to assault victims, Congress, and participate in cover-ups.
Norenberg has since founded the MAST Foundation to provide legal assistance to victims of military sexual trauma. The report seeks to address the prevalence of sexual misconduct within the Coast Guard and advocate for accountability and support for survivors. News 8 has reached out to the Coast Guard Academy for comment on Blumenthal’s report, and the story is developing with updates to follow.
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