Continuing Outrage of Tailhook : Whistle-blower is out, although her abusers and Adm. Kelso escape the ax

The woman who had the courage to confront the Navy and report the outrageous 1991 Tailhook sex scandal once against appears to be the victim of the insidiousness of sexual harassment. In a letter of resignation to the Navy, Lt. Paula Coughlin said the physical attacks on her at the Tailhook convention and “the covert attacks on me that followed have stripped me of my ability to serve.”

That the Navy did so little to stop such continuing abuse is all the more maddening considering that no serious consequences were suffered by any of the men directly involved in the abuse. Pentagon investigators concluded that 83 women were assaulted at the Tailhook convention in Las Vegas, during which scores of women were forced to run a gantlet of drunken aviators.

And the process of justice apparently was subverted by the Navy’s top admiral. A military judge dismissed the last three cases against Navy men involved in the Tailhook affair on the grounds that Adm. Frank B. Kelso tried to cover up his knowledge of the 1991 incident and to manipulate the initial investigative process to shield himself from blame--all of which Kelso denies. The judge dismissed charges against three aviators who contended Kelso’s actions tainted their cases. In a separate action, the last Tailhook case, against a Marine aviator, was dismissed last week. So out of 140 Tailhook cases, no one was court-martialed (about 50 men received administrative discipline). A secretary of the Navy resigned.

And now, sadly and in the bitterest of ironies, Coughlin is leaving while officers like Kelso hang on. So much for officers and gentlemen. Coughlin’s departure sends a chilling message to women--but one that could be ameliorated by Kelso’s departure.