THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170178
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By KERRY DeROCHI, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Two men stationed on the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower have been disciplined for sexually harassing female enlisted crew members.
The men, a chief petty officer and a lieutenant junior grade, have been removed from their jobs and given punitive letters for offenses ranging from indecent assault to the display of sexually suggestive materials.
Word of the harassment comes as the Navy prepares to conduct a system-wide stand down on sexual abuse and other discipline problems. The stand down was ordered last weekend by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Boorda to help the Navy prevent future sexual harassment.
Responding to the order, Adm. William J. Flanagan Jr. on Thursday sent a message to the Norfolk-based Atlantic Fleet outlining how the stand down will provide everyone from ``commanding officers to the deck seaman'' a chance to discuss the issues.
Flanagan said the stand down, while not punishment, is critical to renewing the Navy's commitment to ending sexual harassment.
``Even one incident is too many and we will never accept that misconduct is a necessary fact of life,'' Flanagan said in the three-page message. ``Any misconduct committed by or against one of our shipmates is tragic and we must do whatever is necessary to break the cycle.''
The message is to be passed down from his office through the commands that make up the Atlantic Fleet. Each command willconduct its own stand down which is to begin with an ``all hands'' address by the commanding officer.
``This stand down is a time of critical assessment which will allow us to continue to work together toward improvement in our collective and personal integrity,'' Flanagan said. ``We will stand down for good order and discipline because the safety and well-being of our people is at issue.''
The stand down is the second called by the Navy to address issues of sexual harassment. The first was held in 1992, following word that dozens of women had been assaulted during the 1991 Tailhook convention, a gathering of Navy aviators in Las Vegas.
``For the most part everyone in the Navy has heard the message that sexual harassment and this type of conduct will not be tolerated,'' said Cmdr. Kevin Wensing, a Navy spokesman. ``However, a number of people have not heeded the message.''
Wensing, public affairs officer for the Atlantic Fleet's air forces, said there was no link between Boorda's call for a stand down and the harassment on the Eisenhower, the Navy's first aircraft carrier to carry women.
The offenses took place in late October or early November while the carrier was undergoing routine repairs at Newport News Shipbuilding.
Both men have been temporarily reassigned to a Norfolk-based command where they will await word on whether they will be processed for discharge. They have not been identified.
The first, a Navy chief, was taken before Capt. Gregory C. Brown, commanding officer of the Eisenhower, on Nov. 8 in an administrative hearing known as a captain's mast. He was charged with failure to obey a lawful order, indecent language and disorderly conduct.
The accusations stemmed from the display of a sexually suggestive catalog. He received a punitive letter of reprimand and was fined $1,294 in pay.
The second incident involved a lieutenant junior grade who was taken before Brown on Tuesday to answer charges that he had fraternized with a female crew member who worked for him. He was also accused of conduct unbecoming an officer and indecent assault for making unwanted physical advances toward another female crew member. He received a punitive letter of reprimand.
``The policy regarding fraternization and sexual harassment is clear and those who cannot maintain the Navy's standards will be held accountable for their actions,'' Wensing said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Adm. William J. Flanagan Jr. saysthe stand down will provide all
hands with a chance to discuss the harassment issues.
KEYWORDS: SEXUAL HARASSMENT U.S. NAVY ASSAULT by CNB