Transcripts For CSPAN3 Victims Testify On Sexual Assaults In

Cadets and Navy Midshipmen told a House Armed Services subcommittee their experiences when reporting assaults and harassment and the retaliation they faced. This hearing is called to order. I want to welcome everyone to this afternoons military personnel subcommittee hearing. The purpose of todays hearing is to receive an overview on the annual report on Sexual Harassment and violence at military Service Academies and understand the undergoing activities the acad mikacademie taken to prevent Sexual Assault. Well hear from survivors of Sexual Assault who were assaulted while attending a Service Academy. We thank them for being here today. The nation and the military continue to battle the courage of Sexual Assault. These despicable crimes cause deep and enduring suffering to the victims and their families and violate our fundamental values. When these crimes occur in the military, the effects can be even more damaging. Service members must have absolute trust and confidence in their fellow Service Members in order to accomplish their difficult mission. Midshipmen at military Service Academies are told that the only way to succeed at the academy is work as a team and place their trust in each other. When a cadet takes advantage of that trust in order to assault another, the sense of betrayal is profound. And the impact is often felt by the victim and the entire unit. These crimes have no place in our society, much less in our preeminent military Service Academies. Over the last several years the military Service Academies have dedicated numerous resources to improving Sexual Assault prevention and response. Theyve implemented valuesbased training into nearly every aspect of their curriculum, ensuring that the militarys future officers internalize the militarys values before being commissioned. In addition, the Service Academies have worked hard to ensure that all allegations are thoroughly investigated and perpetrators are held accountable. While also ensuring that survivors of Sexual Assault have access to vital resources. Despite all these efforts, there remains much work to be done. This years report shows that prevalence rates have increased at all Service Academies while reports of Sexual Assaults have decreased at one of the Service Academies. In addition, the significant prevalence of Sexual Harassment, a data point that is new to the survey,s so that additional work is needed. We will hear from two panels this afternoon. Panel one, we are honored to have with us survivors of Sexual Assault. I want to thank the witnesses for their bravery in testifying today. And i appreciate how difficult it is to talk about this subject. Your testimony will give all of us important insights into how the Service Academies and the military can improve Sexual Assault prevention and response. In our second panel, we hear from the dod and the superintendents of the military Service Academies. I look forward to hearing their views on the results of the Sexual Assault report and i also look forward to hearing about the new and existing programs at the Service Academies designed to prevent Sexual Assault. But i introduce my first panel, let me offer the ranked member, ms. Spear, an opportunity to make her opening remarks. Mr. Chairman, thank you, and i thank all of you who will be participating in this hearing. I would like to ask unanimous consent that a document from Lieutenant Colonel elizabeth walker, legislative counsel for the investigations and legislative division of the army office of chief legislative liaison, be admitted into the record. Any objection . So ordered. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, i thank you for holding this hearing. This is an issue that i care deeply about. Sexual assault in our military and military Service Academies is a scourge on our nation. We depend on our academies to treek a attract and develop our nations future leaders. Even one Sexual Assault against these patriotic young individuals is too many. And we all know that the numbers of assault are far more than that. But women and men are victimized by Sexual Assault, both women and men are victimized by Sexual Assault and harassment at the Service Academies, creating a toxic culture that follows these students straight into military leadership. Survivors of Sexual Assault often lead the academies under their own volition or are forced out, depriving our military of future leaders. Perpetrators of these heinous acts often go unpunished, graduate, reinforcing this criminal and abhorrent behavior. This also emboldens them to continue to assault their fellow Service Members as they ascend up the ranks. In order to break this cycle, we need strong reforms to make clear that this behavior is not tolerated. In fact, the only result in cases like this should be dismissal. Military leadership for literally decades has testified that they are of one mind. They have zero tolerance for Sexual Assault. The tens of thousands of survivors of these heinous acts, subsequent retaliation at times ineptitude of their chain of command makes a mockery of this stated policy. Words alone are just words. If we have any hope of stamping out the systemic issue of Sexual Assault in our ranks, the tone must be set at the academies. This isnt just about right and wrong, but being able to attract the very best to serve and the readiness and unit cohesion within our fighting force. Nothing short of the future of our military depends on us getting this right. The department of defense report for Academic Years 20152016 show a complete failure in addressing this epidemic. 12 of women in the academies experience Sexual Assault. 12 . And nearly onehalf, onehalf, face persistent Sexual Harassment. Simply put, this is disgusting. Since the last report in 2014, fewer students at the Service Academies have reported Sexual Assault and harassment. But the estimated rates of unwanted Sexual Conduct have increased. Both of these are trending in the wrong direction. One reason could be the ostracism of Sexual Assault victims. 47 of those who reported the unwanted sexual contact experienced social isolation and maltreatment. We must foster an environment at the Service Academies in which students who have been sexually assaulted and harassed feel like they can come forward without fear of retaliation. I would like to hear from our second panel of Witnesses Today on steps they are taking to reverse these Disturbing Trends to ensure that young cadets and midshipman enter the military ranks as leaders who bring a culture of respect and dignity to their service. Before we hear from the Service Academies and the department of defense, i want to welcome the courageous survivors who are testifying on our first panel. Annie kendazar attended from 2009 to 2011. Sheila craig currently attends u. S. Naval academy. And Stephanie Gross and Arianna Bullard are former cadets at west point. Some of the stories you will hear today are heartbreaking and revolting. These cadets and midshipmen did nothing wrong by reporting their assaults. And yet, their chain of command failed them. And the chain of command that was supposed to actually protect them failed. We cannot tolerate this lack of accountability in our countrys most prestigious military institutions. I look forward to hearing from our Witnesses Today. And i yield back, mr. Chairman. Thank you, ms. Spear. I ask unanimous consent that nonsubcommittee members be allowed to participate in todays hearing after all subcommittee members have been given an opportunity to ask questions. Is there objection . Without objection, nonsubcommittee members will be recognized at the appropriate time for five minutes. We will give each witness the opportunity to present his or her testimony and each member an opportunity to question the witnesses for five minutes. We would also respectfully remind the witnesses to summarize to the greatest extent possible the high points of your written testimony in five minutes or less. Your written comments and statements will be made part of the hearing record. Let me welcome our first panel, sheila crane, United States Naval Academy. Miss Arianna Bullard, did i say it right . Bullard. Bullard, former cadet of the United States military academy. Miss Stephanie Gross, former cadet at the United States military academy. Ms. Annie kenzior. Midshipman second class crane, you may now make your opening remarks. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to speak of my experiences through this process. I am here as an individual and do not represent the views or opinions of the United States Naval Academy. In the Spring Semester of my freshman year i had experienced unwanted sexual contact. Nat fall semester of my sophomore year i filed an unrestricted report about the incident through the snapper office, of course. I wasnt overwhelm i was overwhelmed by the support i received from the staff of the Naval Academy. The individual was dismissed and is no longer a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. Its a whole process. The whole process was difficult. I am confident in saying that the resources that were and still are provided to me helped me through the healing process to this day. Thank you. Ms. Bullard, you are now recognized for five minutes. Hello, my name is aryianna bullard. I attended west point from 2013 until i was honorably discharged in 20 is a where i went on to sustained ohio state university. First off i would like to thank congresswoman spear and her staff for having me here. I left west point the day i was discharged from the hospital suffering from stress induced high blood pressure. I found all my belongings had been packed without my knowledge. In the cold of january, i was only left with a pair of shorts, a jacket, and sandals for my return home to indiana. I was only then escorted onto the plane by two mps because my i. D. Was shipped off with my belongings. As soon as i boarded the plane i was escorted off by the mps and was told the capital who had been retaliating against me wanted to speak to me. He asked me if i wanted to return to the hotel. I replied that i wanted to stay but was confused by what i meant since i had no money or clothing. He hung up. I received a call from sue fulton on the board of visitors to west point asking me if i wanted to stay a cadet at the academy. I realized only then why i received a convoluted call from the captain. If i had known, my answer would have been yes. Despite all that had happened to me, i would have rather stayed than been forced out of west point. I was recruited to west point to be on swim team where i continually received sexual and racial harassment. My boyfriend was called jingo because he was in a relationship with me. I was told that nicknames were a tradition on the mens team. In december, the team went to puerto rico were members made lewd remarks about my body and talked openly about having sex with me. I faced escalating reappraisal as a result of talking about this with my coaches. If we are not simply able to swim together, how are we able to fight together to protect this country . The head coach further went on to punish me by forcing me to practice alone for two weeks before our biggest championship meet, the Patriot League. The assistant coach as a result decided to take it upon himself to make sure i was properly trained. Every day i would practical an hour before the rest of the team only to have them ostracize me more because a few thought i was given special treatment. At the Patriot League i broke multiple records. That day the Navy Vice Admiral shook me handed in congratulations and said to me tell kazlan army won this time. But i no longer felt a part of the army team. We are taught in basic and in the army in general to always protect your battle buddy. Never leave them behind. Then how come i was left behind . In march 2014, the equal Opportunity Office substantiated my case of racial discrimination. I also filed a complaint with the sharp office but learned in november 2014 the complaint was substantiated as harassment but not Sexual Harassment. I then became friends with cadet gross. During her second assault case, i was present when a drunk cadet burst into her room. As curfew rolled around, i had to return to my room expecting the cadet, taking account b89, would remove him. A short while ago, cadet gross called me and was hysterical. I immediately went to her room and saw the distraught state that she was in. With new bruises forming on her neck and chest, she told me repeatedly she would never report again as no one would believe her that she had no faith she would be taken care of. Still having trust in the system, i urged her to report. I told her that we needed to do this for others after us. Even though i was left behind, i refused to do the same to her. We needed to set an example. However, the system failed once again, as my friend and i were retaliated against repeatedly. I was forbidden to accompany her to the hospital and was prohibited from socializing with her and forced to sign a confidentiality form stating i will not discuss her case with anyone. I was subjected to arbitrary discipline and filed a whist whistleblower reprisal complaint. Eventually in january of 2015, i felt i had no option but to resign. Although the processing of resignation normally takes a month or so, mine was expedited to one day, and to my detriment. I collapsed in the barracks and was admitted to the hospital suffering from that High Pressure by stress. When stephanie tried to visit me in the hospital, she was confronted by her command and told that the only way she could remain in the hospital with me was if she admitted herself for psychiatric evaluation. I wrote a Resignation Letter in january 2015. This is the letter i submitted to general kazdan. In that letter i write, i dont want to be in place that allows perpetrators to turn on me in their ranks. I dont believe in double standards. West points honor code is abided by the cadets however a few officers themselves arent held to the same standard or arent held at all. I right haesigned to protect my wellbeing. General kazdan, you told me you believed i would be a leader in the army. Although you told me you did not want to sign my resignation, you handed me a resignation and i asked you if there would be any changes if i stayed. You remained silent. Instead the numbers of reports have doubled since i was last at west point. Two years ago the Congress Asked why i was here and the answer was to prevent what happened to us from other cadets. After two years we are back here again and the answer to that question hasnt changed. I hope we can come up with a solution that will amend the system that desperately needs fixed for the sake of our future cadets and officers. With the support of congresswoman spear, i would like to return to the academy to complete what i started. I believe i can be an asset to other female cadets, and i take general kazdan at his word when he said i could be a great leader and officer in the United States military. Thank you. Thank you, ms. Bullard. Ms. Gross, you are now recognized for five minutes. Thank you, sir. Hello. My name is Stephanie Gross. Im a former cadet of the United States military academy as well. I would like to first thank congresswoman spears office and her staff for extending an invitation to testify before you today regarding my time as a cadet at west point. In truth i still have a great love for west point and i respect and admire the Training Program for our nations future leaders. I entered west point at 18 years old with the class of 2016 on july 2nd, 2012. I was honorabl