Coast Guard Academy completes honor violation investigation; recommends three for expulsion
New London — The Coast Guard Academy has completed its investigation into a group of third-class cadets for cheating on an online quiz — a violation of the school's honor concept — and is recommending that three be expelled.
Academy officials announced in early February that the school was investigating the group of cadets.
They were students in the Ships and Maritime Systems class, a required course for all cadets, during the fall semester.
Sometime during the semester — academy officials did not specify when — similarities were discovered in an online quiz the cadets took outside the classroom.
Overall, 44 cadets out of the 117 in the Ships and Maritime Systems class last semester were investigated.
Four of the 44 cadets were ruled out early on.
The remaining 37 cadets involved face a range of punishments such as restriction, meaning they can't leave academy grounds, marching tours, work hours and a lengthy honor remediation program.
The academy is not releasing the names of the cadets involved. There are 229 cadets in the entire third-class.
An administrative board will decide the fate of the three cadets recommended for expulsion.
"A precise timeline is difficult to determine at this point. This is a comprehensive and deliberative process that is decided at the headquarters level and which allows cadets the right to appeal the decision," academy spokesman David Santos said by email.
The three cadets were found to be more involved, but the academy would not provide specifics on their involvement or why they were recommended for expulsion while others involved face other forms of punishment.
"In situations like this one it is the job of Academy leadership to determine whether each accused cadet's actions are an opportunity for learning, or if their misconduct is serious enough to keep them from serving successfully as Coast Guard officers," a statement from the academy says. "The process for adjudicating an honor violation is methodical and deliberate and involves a thorough investigation to determine the facts of the case."
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