Cal Maritime acknowledged it did not report the allegations to the U.S. Maritime Administration, which owns the vessel. The federal agency said such reports are required under a long-standing agree…
For nearly three decades, the navy-and-gold Training Ship Golden Bear has plied oceans around the globe for California State University’s Maritime Academy, providing a unique classroom for students training to be leaders in the seafaring industry.Cal Maritime students and employees reported accusations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment aboard the 500-foot ship to officials at the Vallejo campus.
The agreement requires the campus to “promptly report” alleged violations of state, federal and international laws, statutes or regulations and provide “complete written details of the occurrence.” That includes sexual harassment, sexual assault and retaliation, a spokesman for the Maritime Administration said in statements to The Times.
The new details come amid heightened scrutiny of alleged misconduct at the school on the San Francisco Bay after a Times report in December and a Vallejo Times-Herald report in 2021 exposed decades-long claims of sexual assault and sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobia and racism on campus and during training cruises.
Scopazzi, who identifies as she/her and said she was one of the few transgender students on campus, was appalled at the response by leadership’s response to the letter — as a result, she feels “uncomfortable” spending time on campus.
Later that week Cropper responded to Scopazzi and the Times-Herald’s request for a statement, and an answer to what steps are being taken to assure the safety of LGBTQ students. Cropper wrote: “All cadets who attend Cal Maritime should feel safe and accepted. There is no higher priority for us. We are unable to comment on individual cadets as we need to protect their privacy.
Recently, the Maritime Administration said it was concerned about accusations raised in The Times’ report. The agency said its civil rights office will review the school’s handling of sexual misconduct and retaliation complaints and work with the campus to address any problems. The review will also determine whether the campus violated the terms of the agreement.
The retired rear admiral added that the campus is working with the Maritime Administration on a new agreement that will clarify language about reporting sexual misconduct. A Times review of internal campus records, including sexual misconduct investigations, emails and shipboard captain reports, found significant disparities in how officials handled misconduct accusations aboard the Golden Bear:
During a 1990 hearing in the California Legislature, lawmakers criticized Cal Maritime leadership for failing to protect students after the Maritime Administration investigated claims of sexual misconduct and racial discrimination aboard its training ship at the time. During monthslong summer ocean cruises, about 300 cadets and crew members live and work on the Golden Bear, which has nine decks connected by stairwells and narrow passageways.
In the first incident, the cadet said, she met with the male student in the ship classroom hours after she had been drinking with him. They had planned to watch a movie, she said, when he allegedly raped her. She and a male classmate were on a late-night security patrol of the ship while it was docked at the academy last spring, according to records from a campus sexual assault investigation launched after she filed a formal complaint last year.
This semester has been better, she said, because her accused attacker is no longer at school. But the cadet said she remains disappointed that campus leaders did not alert federal maritime officials. Chief mate Jessica Ryals, the second in command, alerted the ship captain and the campus to the vandalism. The president dispatched the director of marine transportation, Samuel Pecota, to meet the vessel the next day off Catalina and investigate. The captain notified federal maritime officials about the vandalism, according to the campus.
Solana declined to comment for this article, saying that campus management told him the case is confidential. Cal Maritime said supervisors counseled Solana about the accusations while the investigation into Ryals’ complaint was continuing. The inquiry concluded in October 2022, finding that Solana had sexually harassed and retaliated against her in violation of CSU policy, campus records show. He was allowed to continue teaching because removing him from class would have resulted in “significant disruption and harm to the academic progress of students,” the campus said.
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