U.S. Coast Guard Academy Disciplines 55 Cadets for Sharing Homework Answers

Officials at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy have announced disciplinary actions against 55 second-class cadets for sharing answers to homework assignments in a nautical science course last fall.

According to an academy spokesman, the cadets violated academy policy by distributing answers related to navigation assignments, compromising the integrity of the institution’s Honor Concept. Capt. Edward Hernaez, commandant of cadets, emphasized the academy’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability.

Following an investigation, six cadets heavily involved in the collusion received failing grades, while 48 others received lower grades. Additionally, eleven cadets were stripped of command positions they were set to hold this summer.

All 55 cadets, including one not enrolled in the course but involved in the exchange of information, have been restricted to the academy grounds and will undergo a 20-week honor remediation program.

Unlike some schools, the Coast Guard Academy does not have an honor code but operates under an Honor Concept, requiring students’ actions to be “straightforward and always above reproach.” Students are obligated to report violations they witness, and condoning such behavior is itself a punishable offense.

The academy’s handbook emphasizes values of honesty and loyalty to duty above personal interests.

The nautical science course in question is mandatory for graduation from the academy, with six students who failed the course given the opportunity to retake it next year.

The Coast Guard Academy, located in New London, Connecticut, boasts an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students training to become officers in the U.S. Coast Guard.

This incident follows a previous cheating scandal in 2016, which resulted in the expulsion of three students and disciplinary action against 37 others for cheating on an online quiz. The academy has also faced scrutiny for its handling of sexual assault cases, prompting service and congressional investigations into the institution’s response to such incidents.