NORFOLK, Va. — A new report says the Navy and Marine Corps need to do a better job when it comes to how they handle sexual harassment complaints.
Guidance to the fleet issued last year by Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro stated: "Sexual harassment is part of the sexual violence continuum of harm and has no place in the Department of the Navy."
In a video for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, he said: "I'm calling on each of you to model the right behavior and set the example for what right looks like."
A new Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General report found gaps in policy "that can weaken program execution and oversight of the Navy and Marine Corps sexual harassment prevention and response programs."
Among the findings:
- Navy and Marine Corps policies do not require commanders to investigate all egregious sexual harassment complaints to ensure that offenders are processed for administrative separation if allegations are substantiated.
- They do not require officials to document actions to support decisions to dismiss, downgrade, or withdraw complaints.
- The two branches do not require designated officials to complete investigation-related training when selected for the role of investigating officer for a formal complaint.
In a press release, Inspector General Robert Storch said: "Sexual harassment undermines the dignity and well-being of individuals and hinders productivity and morale...By prioritizing sexual harassment prevention and response, the DOD upholds its commitment to a fair and inclusive workplace that helps ensure mission success."
In April 2022, Del Toro ordered that unit commanders in the Navy and Marine Corps will no longer have the authority to investigate sexual harassment allegations.
Del Toro directed that commanding officers must send sexual harassment complaints to the next higher-level commander, who will then appoint an investigating officer from outside the command who "shall not be familiar with the subject or the complainant."