It’s been a poorly kept secret that students at the United States Merchant Marine Academy have been the victims of sexual harassment, abuse and worse for many years. Though young women are the primary target, even male cadets are not safe in this toxic environment.
That students at a government-sponsored school should be subject to this type of behavior is outrageous. Either the administration knew and took no action or they didn’t know and should have. It’s scandalous and needs to end now. All it takes for evil to flourish is for enough good people to do nothing. Well, Great Neck, what are we going to do about it?
All those who care about human rights and particularly the rights of women should be outside the gates of the academy demanding change. If it takes pickets, so be it. If it takes calls to all the major news networks, so be it. If it takes angry phone calls to our senators and Congress people, so be it.
If the academy needs a push to change, let’s give them one. They should be ashamed of themselves. If we do nothing, then the shame is ours as well.
—David Golbert
