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New Audit Announcements

Date

Audit Initiated of USMMA’s Progress in Addressing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault

Requested By
Requested by Ranking Member Elijah Cummings and Congresswoman Jackie Speier of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Project ID
13C3004C000
File Attachment

Less than half of the population of female upperclassmen, faculty and staff at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), which is operated by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), believe that the senior leadership has created a climate that is intolerant of sexual harassment and sexual assault, according to the Academy’s most recent publicly available survey conducted in the 2009-2010 academic year. On April 23, 2013, Ranking Member Elijah Cummings and Congresswoman Jackie Speier of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform requested that we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Academy’s efforts to date to create a climate in which sexual harassment and sexual assault are not tolerated. Accordingly, our objectives are to (1) assess USMMA’s implementation of its action plan to prevent, respond to, and resolve instances of sexual harassment and sexual assault; and (2) assess DOT’s oversight of the Academy’s sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention, response, and resolution efforts, including MARAD’s management of these efforts.