July 23, 2024: Shannon Norenberg Files Anti-Harassment (AHHI) Complaint Alleging Hostile Work Environment at U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Seeks Investigation of Academy Leader Michael Johnston

This AHHI complaint was submitted by Shannon Norenberg to Coast Guard Academy attorney Kevin Robitaille as well as the Coast Guard’s “Anti-Harassment Program Management Office” via email to SMB-COMDT-AHPO@uscg.mil. A pdf of the Complaint is available here.

U.S. Coast Guard

Anti-Harassment / Hate Incident (AHHI) Complaint

July 23, 2024

Kevin Robitaille, Esq.

Attorney Advisor/Ethics Advisor

Office of the Staff Judge Advocate

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

15 Mohegan Ave

New London, CT 06320

Mr. Robitaille,

In June of 2023, news of the Coast Guard leadership’s cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor (OFA) broke on CNN. Like everyone else, I was shocked the Coast Guard leadership had intentionally concealed a five-year criminal investigation into decades of sexual assault cover-ups at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy from Congress and the public. Coincidentally, I was on personal leave and away from the Academy during the week the news of the OFA cover-up broke in the media.

When I returned to work at the Academy in early July of 2023, three different Coast Guard Academy employees approached me, each expressing concern about my coworker, [REDACTED]. These three coworkers told me that while I was on leave, [REDACTED] had alleged to members of the Academy staff that I was involved in the cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor and therefore “could not be trusted.” This rumor that I was part of the OFA cover-up and could therefore not be trusted to do my job as Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) spread widely at the Academy.

The first person to approach me was Capt. [REDACTED], followed by Cmdr. [REDACTED], who is in charge of external affairs for the Academy. Following these troubling conversations, I spoke to my supervisor, Lt. [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] relayed the same story that [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] told me. Upon hearing these insulting and harassing allegations, I was deeply concerned that my coworker had been spreading these allegations about me at the Academy and undermining my reputation in the process. As SARC, my ability to do my job depends upon my ability to gain the trust of victims and survivors. If survivors believed I was part of the OFA cover-up, I would be placed into an impossible position.

Because I felt my professional reputation was at risk, I then asked Lt. [REDACTED] to initiate an investigation for harassment, retaliation, and hostile work environment based on the Coast Guard's anti-hate and harassment incident (AHHI) procedure policy. I knew I was protected from retaliation for working with sexual assault victims.

When I requested an investigation from Lt. [REDACTED], she suggested mediation instead. In response, I insisted upon an investigation. During this conversation, Lt. [REDACTED] spent several minutes questioning me about my potential involvement in the OFA cover-up. She asked very detailed questions about my involvement in Operation Fouled Anchor, and she specifically asked me if it was true that I had been involved in the cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor. These questions made me deeply uncomfortable. In that meeting, Lt. [REDACTED] also told me to be a "team player" and told me to simply avoid interacting with [REDACTED], as if this would solve the problem.

When I confronted [REDACTED] directly about the rumors, she initially denied spreading them but eventually agreed to stop. We did not speak for several weeks and were ultimately forced to resolve the issue ourselves. [REDACTED] and I were placed on alternate schedules so our paths would not physically cross at work for the next several weeks. I was directed to resume my duties as the Academy's SARC, and no formal follow-up was made about this incident for weeks. No mediation or investigation ever occurred.

Others were subsequently enlisted to keep me “on the team” and keep me quiet, including Admiral Michael Johnston, the Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. As part of Johnston’s effort to contain the situation, in July of 2023 he came to my office and sat on my couch. Admiral Johnston and I then talked extensively about Operation Fouled Anchor. I told him I was very upset about being accused of having played a role in the cover-up of OFA. Internally, I was mortified that the leader of the Academy was in my office asking me about the rumors. Throughout our conversation, Johnston left me with the impression that he had no knowledge of OFA prior to CNN exposing the cover-up on June 30, 2023.

However, it is difficult to believe Johnston did not have prior knowledge of OFA and the cover-up of OFA. It is public information that Admiral Johnston served on the Board of Trustees of the Academy for at least one year prior to being installed as Superintendent in May of 2023. Johnston may have had a personal career interest in ensuring that an investigation was not conducted into my initial complaints in July of 2023. I request this investigation now examine whether or not Superintendent Johnston was aware of the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor and its concealment from Congress and the public prior to June of 2023.

In addition, Captain Eva Van Camp was also enlisted to keep me quiet. Captain Van Camp was installed as Assistant Superintendent of the Academy in July 2023. I want this investigation to examine whether Van Camp was aware of OFA and its concealment from Congress prior to June of 2023.

In July of 2023, I did not believe I had been involved in the cover-up of OFA. However, in May of 2024, I found an old copy of the OFA "Talking Points" document that I had used during the "apology tour" I was sent on to meet with OFA survivors. The re-discovery of the “Talking Points” document more than four years after the apology tour led me to understand that my coworker [REDACTED] was actually correct when she spread rumors that I had been involved in the cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor.

I believe the truth of her allegations influenced the Coast Guard's decision not to accept my AHHI complaint or conduct an investigation. I request that this investigation now also examine whether Commandant Linda Fagan was notified about the situation and my about request for a formal investigation in the summer of 2023.

The harassing rumors and innuendo which assert I was involved in the Coast Guard leadership's intentional cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor, and the truth of these rumors, have created lasting damage to my reputation and have created an ongoing hostile work environment for me at the Academy and within the Coast Guard. The fact that I was actually lied to by the Coast Guard leadership, ordered to lie to sexual assault victims, ordered to play a role in denying medical care and benefits to sexual assault victims, and used as an instrument of the Coast Guard leadership's cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor have also permanently damaged my reputation as a SARC and have created a hostile work environment for me within the U.S. Coast Guard.

I ask that the AHHI process now investigate the roles played by anyone involved in creating the ongoing hostile work environment for me at the USCGA, including the following people:

Commandant Linda Fagan

Michael J. Johnston

Eva Van Camp

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Thank you,

Shannon Norenberg

USCGA SARC