Coast Guard cadet found guilty of assaulting classmate

April 2019 incident occurred on campus

A Coast Guard Academy cadet has resigned from the service after he was found guilty of assaulting a classmate, a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Kieran Clancy was initially charged with abusive sexual contact related to an April 2019 incident that occurred on the academy’s campus. Under the UCMJ, “abusive sexual contact” is defined as unlawful touching of another person with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass or degrade any person or to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, and the latter including doing bodily harm to another person.

The incident involved two victims, both cadets. However, the charges involving one of the victims were dropped “based on concerns regarding the sufficiency of the evidence to obtain and sustain a conviction,” the Coast Guard said. “As a result, Cadet Clancy’s case was referred to court-martial, and he was ultimately taken to mast for the charges related to the remaining victim.”

The Coast Guard declined to disclose any further details about the incident or what happened.

Superintendent Rear Adm. Bill Kelly, at a nonjudicial punishment hearing on Nov. 10, found Clancy had committed assault consummated by battery, also a violation of the UCMJ.

Kelly issued Clancy a punitive letter of reprimand, which detailed his misconduct, 60 days’ restriction and forfeiture of half of one month’s pay for two months with both the restriction and forfeiture provisions of the punishment suspended, given Clancy voluntarily resigned his cadet appointment.

Clancy received a general discharge from the Coast Guard, an administrative discharge usually given to service members who have engaged in minor misconduct or have received nonjudicial punishments.

A general discharge can result in the loss of certain educational benefits as well as the denial of certain rights and privileges available to honorably discharged veterans under applicable federal and state laws.