Gillibrand, Suozzi call for investigation into allegations of sexual assault of USMMA cadet

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Thomas Suozzi called for an immediate investigation Tuesday into allegations that a female U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet was sexually assaulted aboard a commercial ship during her Sea Year training by an older engineering supervisor.

The allegations, shared last week on the website of a maritime nonprofit and reported Monday by Newsday, were made by an unidentified member of the class of 2022 at USMMA in Kings Point.

"The recent allegation regarding the sexual assault of a female cadet during Sea Year is deeply disturbing and demands an immediate investigation," Gillibrand and Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) said in a joint statement. "Aspiring cadets at the US Merchant Marine Academy should be able to focus on getting the valuable hands-on skills and training that Sea Year provides them, without fear of sexual harassment, assault, and violence."

The victim wrote that she was 19 at the time of the rape, which took place during Sea Year, when midshipmen are required to work more than 300 days on commercial vessels in international waters.

The woman said she was pressured to drink alcohol by several older men on the U.S.-flagged Maersk Line Limited ship and the following morning awoke to discover she had been assaulted by the first engineer, a man in his 60s whom she did not name.

The victim said she blacked out during the evening but has memories of the rape, which she did not report to authorities or her supervisors because of fears she would not be believed.

The victim said she knows of at least five other female cadets in her class who were raped during Sea Year and that all of the roughly 50 females in her class had been either sexually harassed, assaulted or degraded during their time at the academy.

The Merchant Marine Academy and U.S. Department of Transportation, which has oversight over the nation's maritime academies, did not respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg and acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley expressed "unwavering support" for the victim and said they were determining "the appropriate steps required to increase and ensure the safety of midshipmen."

The USMMA, which trains men and women to be midshipmen working on deep sea vessels and in the military, has struggled for years to address allegations of sexual assault and harassment. In 2016, reports of sexual misconduct forced the temporary suspension of the Sea Year but the program resumed the following year after new policies and procedures were enacted.

Gillibrand and Suozzi, who serve on the USMMA's Board of Visitors, authored legislation in 2017 that addressed issues of sexual assault at the academy, increased staff training and provided additional funding to increase the safety of Sea Year.

"We must ensure that incidents of sexual harassment and assault are reported and prioritized, and that every single cadet feels safe whether on campus or at sea," the lawmakers wrote.

"We will continue to work closely with the Merchant Marine Academy to put systems in place to ensure timely and thorough reporting."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.