Navy Toughens Punishment in Sex Harassment
The Navy, hoping to shake a reputation for tolerating sexual harassment, announced Wednesday that first-time violators of certain anti-harassment rules automatically will be kicked out of the service.
The service has been cited in several highly publicized incidents of sexual harassment and abuse. The latest involved an admiral who was fired from a prestigious job last November after he failed to act promptly on a complaint by a female aide that she was sexually harassed at a Las Vegas convention of naval aviators.
Adm. Frank B. Kelso II, the chief of naval operations, said the new behavior policy would take effect on March 1.
The new policy states that members of the Navy and Marine Corps will be fired outright “on the first substantiated incident” involving the following circumstances:
--Threats or attempts to influence another’s career or job to obtain sexual favors.
--Offering rewards in exchange for sexual favors.
--Physical contact of a sexual nature which, if charged as a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, could result in punitive discharge.
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