Claims of 'lewd' acts probed by academy

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Cruise passengers allege harassment by midshipmen</p>

<p>Published in the BS:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-te.ar.cruise27mar27,0,5013236.story?coll=bal-local-arundel[/url]”>http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-te.ar.cruise27mar27,0,5013236.story?coll=bal-local-arundel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The Naval Academy is investigating allegations that uniformed midshipmen on a spring break cruise in the Caribbean drunkenly groped women and offered alcohol to teenagers. </p>

<p>In an e-mailed complaint that prompted the investigation, a female passenger on the Carnival ship Glory two weeks ago, said the group of eight to 10 male midshipmen also displayed “lewd” behavior in bikini swim trunks and cowboy boots and hats - earning them the nickname “the Speedo Boys.” </p>

<p>“I was ‘felt up’ by one of the very drunk men and I was given the misfortune of watching them grab and disrespect every woman they could get close to as well as seeing them offer the underage (15 and 17 year old) girls at our table alcohol,” she wrote. “I cannot tell you strongly enough how EMBARRASSED these “gentlemen” made me feel to be an American. I can only imagine what the foreigners on our ship and in port thought of us.”…

</p>

<p>This situation reminds me of Tailhook. Conduct unbecoming an officer??? Failure to use good judgement???</p>

[Profmom2]

<p>I find it very troublesome that some one with such complaints/accusations would not have contacted the Cruise Officials while the behavior was going on but would wait a week and then e-mail a complaint to the Academy.</p>

<p>

Nate Brady of Lawrence, Kan., who wrote about the cruise on his blog, said in an interview that one young man with the group of midshipmen attempted to pull down the shirt of their female friend, but was quickly reprimanded by other Naval Academy students, who also apologized on his behalf. The young man told them that he had been expelled from the academy.</p>

<p>As for the other midshipmen in the group, Nate and his wife, Tobey Brady, said they were courteous to women and did not drink to excess, even giving up their seats to stranded travelers after a cave-tubing expedition.</p>

<p>“People thought they were very respectful,” Brady said. “We saw those guys on a lot of occasions, and we didn’t see anything inappropriate.”</p>

<p>A spokeswoman for Carnival Cruise Lines said yesterday that she was unaware of any allegations of impropriety…

</p>

<p>Looks like there are two sides to this story…</p>

[Homer09]

<p>why would they be in uniform? i’m just curious?</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>^^^^^
Most cruises have at least one formal meal that requires the guests to wear coat and ties for the men and cocktail dresses for teh ladies. It sounds like the mids decided to wear their “ice cream” suits for the occasion.</p>

[atrmom]

<p>Evidently, they were plebes…</p>

[Profmom2]

<p>^^^Where did you hear that?
Haven’t heard that through mine who I was talking to late this afternoon.</p>

[wickster2010]

<p>My son told us this weekend about this story and he said they were firsties. I have no idea of where he got the info from but he said he was glad that none of them were from his company</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Probe examining claims of heavy drinking, sexually inappropriate behavior by midshipmen</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/03/ap_navalacademy_cruise_070327/[/url]”>http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/03/ap_navalacademy_cruise_070327/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The Naval Academy said Tuesday it is investigating allegations of lewd behavior and heavy drinking by a group of midshipmen on a spring break Caribbean cruise.</p>

<p>One passenger wrote that she and other women were groped, and that some of the midshipmen offered alcohol to teenage girls on the cruise.</p>

<p>The allegations hit as the academy has been trying to stop alcohol abuse and sexual impropriety following two sexual misconduct cases allegedly involving academy football players…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in the New York Crimes:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/us/28naval.html?_r=1&oref=slogin[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/us/28naval.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The United States Naval Academy said yesterday that it was investigating accusations of lewd behavior and excessive drinking by midshipmen on a Caribbean cruise this month.</p>

<p>The misconduct, involving 8 to 10 midshipmen, is said to have occurred aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Glory over spring break, for about a week beginning on March 10, the academy said…

</p>

[AFA007]

<p>Had this been Air Force Academy cadets it would have been all over CNN and Oprah.</p>

<p>Got to hand it to the Navy for their damage control.</p>

[Profmom2]

<p>^^^I like your take on this! :)</p>

<p>You do know that “damage control” is taught during Plebe summer…only that it has to do with a boat!</p>

[sledge]

<p>Sure are two sides to this. I’m the Nate from that interview, really had no idea he would post my name. Glad I had good things to say or I’d probably have to move, lol.</p>

<p>There were a couple of groups of guys from the academy there, but the guys we hung out with were all nice dudes and always appropriate with the ladies. I was traveling with three attractive girls and we never once had a problem, except for one guy who was apparently already out of the Navy and they apologized profusely for him and took him back to his room.</p>

<p>I did see the guys in the speedos they were pretty annoying because they wouldnt go away, but they made no mention they were in the navy.</p>

<p>And yep the nights they were in uniform were formal nights. Not like they were trying to show off or anything. It’s very common to see servicemen wearing dress uniforms, even on non-spring break cruises.</p>

<p>Personally, Im nothing but proud of the way the midshipmen we met conducted themselves.</p>

[Wheelah44]

<p>they were definitely firsties, not plebes. the academy is still bumbling through trying to figure out who it was (no clues yet) while many in the brigade have a pretty good idea. sad business, but i am personally horrified that they put on their chokers and then proceeded to get wasted. i don’t give a crap if it was ‘formal night’, they shouldn’t get trashed in uniform. they are less than 60 days out from graduation. makes me proud.</p>

[sledge]

<p>Well again I didnt see anybody totally trashed in uniform. Having cocktails, yes. Hammered, absolutely not. At least not the guys I saw, but its a big ship. But I was in the area where most of the drinking goes on - at the piano bar and dance club (within 100 feet of eachother).</p>

<p>In fact, we saw some of the cadets we met in the piano bar on the dance floor later that night and they weren’t in uniform. I was traveling with a few girls and we all made a lot of friends and I think we were pretty in tune with what was happening on the ship and there was certainly no general attitude that the guys from the Navy were causing trouble.</p>

<p>You have to look at it like this. There were at least 1000 cuties between the ages of 18 and 29 on this cruise ship, and only a couple complained. Cmon.</p>

<p>Regarding the thong cowboys, there were 2 I heard but I only saw one… We were at pizzaria around 3 or 4AM when they (he has some friend, in street clothes thank God) came around asking for dollars. He was totally obnoxious, even putting a slice of pizza in his thong and tryin to get my some girls to take a bite. I didnt recognize him and he made no mention that he was in the navy and I would have never come to that conclusion.</p>

[400U]

<p>My brother was there but wasn’t involved…I am 100% sure it was firsties and not plebes. It is also much to do about nothing. If the academy takes action against students partying on spring break, well, I’ll be shocked.</p>

[like2bsailing]

<p>They wouldn’t be taking action against partying, they would be taking action against the misconduct while partying.</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>*Investigation finds 8-10 behaved badly during spring break cruise *</p>

<p>Published in the BS:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.cruise31mar31,0,954587.story?coll=bal-local-arundel[/url]”>http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.cruise31mar31,0,954587.story?coll=bal-local-arundel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

The Naval Academy has concluded that some midshipmen who went on a spring break cruise in the Caribbean that resulted in complaints from civilian passengers “demonstrated behavior that was misguided/immature,” but not criminal.</p>

<p>“This type of inappropriate conduct is not tolerated,” the academy said yesterday in a statement on the results of its preliminary investigation. Noting that the academy holds students to “extremely high” standards, the academy said: “Any midshipmen who acted inappropriately will be held accountable and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in the Washington Compost:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100225.html[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/31/AR2007033100225.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

A Naval Academy probe into allegations of lewd behavior and heavy drinking on a Caribbean cruise found that up to 10 midshipmen acted “immature” but committed no crimes.</p>

<p>The findings were announced Friday. The investigation began after a passenger alleged that she and other women were groped on the Carnival cruise ship Glory during the academy’s March 10-18 spring break. Some of the midshipmen also were accused of offering alcohol to teenage girls…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p><a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/lewd.cadets.ap/index.html[/url]”>http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/lewd.cadets.ap/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>

A Naval Academy probe into allegations of lewd behavior and heavy drinking on a Caribbean cruise found that up to 10 midshipmen acted “immature” but committed no crimes.</p>

<p>The findings were announced Friday.</p>

<p>The investigation began after a woman on the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Glory complained in an e-mail to the academy that a group of eight to 10 male midshipmen were acting in a “lewd” manner, The (Baltimore) Sun reported Tuesday…

</p>

[GreatAmerican]

<p>Published in the Annapolis Capital:</p>

<p><a href=“Real Estate – Capital Gazette”>Real Estate – Capital Gazette;

<p>

Preliminary investigations by the Naval Academy have shown that eight to 10 midshipmen behaved in a “misguided/immature” way while on a pleasure cruise during spring break.</p>

<p>“Many midshipmen who acted inappropriately will be held accountable and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken,” a spokesman from the academy said…

</p>