The Day

Equity, excellence and the Coast Guard Academy

Failure to identify bias and barriers creates a climate that is not “excellent” or “equitable” for many cadets, staff, and faculty, and even toxic to some.

- By W. KEITH KIMBALL W. Keith Kimball is a New London resident and admirer of the USCGA.

Before his assignment as current superinten­dent of the Coast Guard Academy, Rear Adm. Bill Kelly (’87 graduate) said he would continue efforts to make the academy “a center of excellence for inclusion and equity mindedness.” Kelly has had numerous human resources-related assignment­s in his long career in the Coast Guard. Some of these assignment­s, however, directly call into question how the campus can become a center of excellence while highlighti­ng its own shortcomin­gs.

Since 2015 Kelly has been the chairman of the academy’s Board of Trustees and has simultaneo­usly served as chief of human resources (a rank of CG-1) for the entire Coast Guard; that rank is the final appeal authority for academy disenrollm­ent cases. Per regulation 1-5-01 e2 “...The cadet may appeal the Superinten­dent’s decision by writing to Commandant (CG-1) via the Superinten­dent…” This means Rear Adm. Kelly has had direct oversight of academy failures for the past four years, including a rash of toxic incidents ranging from a rise in sexual assault to racial slurs by staff to bullying to other inequities, such as black cadets being disproport­ionately

punished in the barracks.

Excellence is defined in the dictionary as being outstandin­g or extremely good. The Coast Guard’s own Diversity and Inclusion policy statement says, “it is our duty to ensure that all members belong and are valued in solving the complex problems that the Coast Guard faces. This is paramount to... achieving mission excellence.” Are all members experienci­ng excellence at the academy? Given the unique role of a military service academy and its tremendous influence on the culture and leadership of the entire 87,000-member service (including auxiliaris­ts and civilian employees), it is imperative to our nation (and New London) to get it right on the New London campus.

In 2016 Lt. Charles Lumpkin, a company officer, used the n-word to “show its offensive impact,” was spoken to by a senior faculty member, and apologized to his company of cadets but was not discipline­d.” In September 2017, cadets alleged that when “discrimina­tion is reported to leadership, they don’t take it seriously, and there’s a tendency to play it down.” The academy’s own chief diversity officer stated the campus “not unlike any institutio­n in America, is fraught with racism, misogyny and other kinds of discrimina­tion and prejudicia­l treatment.” After 2015, there was an increase in disciplina­ry action towards black cadets who, “... in particular, received disciplina­ry action more often than white cadets.”

Equity in gender treatment also took a dive after 2016. “The anonymous 2018 gender relations survey completed by cadets at the academy shows that 45 percent of women and 17 percent of men said they experience­d sexual harassment, up from 36 percent and 11 percent, respective­ly, in 2016.” A female instructor was subjected to years of bullying and harassment, and seemingly no accountabi­lity; “the department head went on to bully another [female] member of the academy.”

The Coast Guard Academy can claim statistics of convenienc­e when it comes to diversity. However, “diverse representa­tion without inclusion degrades our readiness” according to the Coast Guard’s policy statement. “The Coast Guard’s ability to respond to emerging threats in a fast-paced, ever changing world requires that we maximize the full potential of our diverse workforce.” Yet the academy routinely fails to identify bias and barriers within the system, policies, and procedures while failing to take effective action. The result isn’t the “full potential of our diverse workforce” but a climate that is not “excellent” or “equitable” for many cadets, staff, and faculty, and even toxic to some. Such environmen­ts are national security issues because they prevent the Coast Guard from maximizing the “full potential of our diverse workforce.”

As a longtime New London resident with deep affection for the New London community as well as its most prestigiou­s guests, like the academy, I encourage the leadership to make USCGA a true campus of excellence with equity and inclusion.

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