Sea change needed at Kings Point

The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point should be one of Long Island's brightest jewels, one of the nation's service academies where young midshipmen are trained to serve their country.

Instead, a dark cloud continues to hover as sexual harassment and assault allegations persist. This comes nearly seven years after federal officials first suspended USMMA's Sea Year program during which cadets, as they are known at sea, work aboard commercial vessels. Service members are trained in national security and marine transport. 

After the 2016 suspension, the academy and officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation promised changes to protect midshipmen. But a few years later, a young cadet accused an engineering supervisor of raping her on board a commercial ship. Toward the end of 2021, Sea Year was briefly suspended again, and more promises were made.

Yet according to the latest sexual harassment and sexual assault report, more than two dozen instances of sexual assault have been reported since 2019 — on the USMMA campus and at sea. Another 35 cases of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, stalking or relationship violence also were reported.

The DOT, especially its Maritime Administration, is attempting significant reforms. Whether that produces necessary changes to the underlying culture, at the academy and on ships, remains to be seen. The federal changes start with EMBARC, or Every Mariner Builds a Respectful Culture — a new set of standards and rules that commercial shipping companies and the academy must follow. Those rules also affect the U.S. Coast Guard, which has law enforcement authority over the ships.

Ensuring those rules go far enough, and enforcing them, will be key. Bad actors must be prosecuted and convicted. Last year, the Nassau County district attorney and the Kings Point Police Department were handed authority to investigate crimes on campus, make arrests, and prosecute those responsible. Local authorities must follow through when they have jurisdiction. On the open seas, beyond the Coast Guard's critical role in U.S. waters, prosecution jurisdiction can vary. The crimes are still happening; more needs to be done to stop them.

This isn't just about USMMA. It's about everyone connected to merchant marine work. The industry and its large players must get their ships in order. Officials say using commercial vessels, rather than training ships, makes USMMA unique. But if it's at a cadet's peril, it's not worth it.

Efforts to bring more diversity, including more women, into the industry and the academy, including at top levels, could help. One good step: USMMA now has its first female superintendent, Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan (U.S. Coast Guard, Ret.). And it bodes well that the top federal officials overseeing the academy, Rear Adm. Ann C. Phillips, (U.S. Navy, Ret.) and Deputy Administrator Lucinda Lessley, are women who appear committed to broadly reforming USMMA.

There's work to be done to turn the tide, so future midshipmen see smoother sailing ahead.