Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy

When I Was A Cadet I Was Sexually Harassed on a Military Sealift Command Ship. When I Reported It I Was Told To Stay Silent.

* This account was submitted to MLAA by the victim, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy *

I’d like to stay anonymous, but I was on a Military Sealift Command ship as a cadet, and there was a 3rd Mate who would make all these weird sexual comments to me and the other female cadets about sexual stuff he wanted to do to us.

Disgusting things.

I went to the Chief Mate and complained about the sexually harassment and he straight up told me not to report it because “You don’t want to ruin someone’s career over a couple of comments.”

I was on that ship for 8 months, so I just had to deal with it on my own the whole time.

—Female USMMA Graduate

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