Shannon Norenberg (Operation Fouled Anchor Whistleblower) vs. U.S. Coast Guard
Case Title: Shannon Norenberg (Operation Fouled Anchor Whistleblower) vs. U.S. Coast Guard
Case Type: Whistleblower, Whistleblower Retaliation, Military Sexual Assault, Military Sexual Trauma, Federal Prohibited Personnel Practices, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Filed in: United States Office of Special Counsel
Case No.: N/A
Attorneys Involved: Ryan Melogy (Contact)
Case Summary:
In June 2024, while serving as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Shannon Norenberg resigned and publicly disclosed that the Coast Guard had misled her and used her to deceive sexual assault victims during "Operation Fouled Anchor," a secret internal investigation into decades of sexual misconduct at the Academy. Norenberg revealed that she was instructed to provide false information to victims and was part of an effort to conceal the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor from Congress and the public. Following Shannon’s courageous decision to come forward, the Coast Guard retaliated against her—but our law firm has stood by her side, helping her fight back and demand accountability.
Key Allegations:
Deception in Victim Communications: Shannon Norenberg alleges that the U.S. Coast Guard instructed her to provide misleading information to sexual assault victims during "Operation Fouled Anchor," a secret internal investigation into decades of sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy. She asserts that she was used to deceive victims and discourage them from reporting their assaults to Congress.
Withholding of Reporting Forms: Norenberg claims that the Coast Guard deliberately withheld the CG-6095 Victim Reporting Preference Statement forms from victims. This omission prevented the formal documentation of their assaults, thereby denying them access to Department of Veterans Affairs services and ensuring that the incidents were not officially recorded.
Concealment of Investigation Findings: She contends that the Coast Guard intentionally kept the findings of Operation Fouled Anchor hidden from Congress and the public, aiming to avoid scrutiny and protect the institution's reputation. This included instructing personnel to remain silent about the investigation's existence and outcomes.
Retaliation Following Disclosure: After publicly revealing these practices, Norenberg faced alleged retaliatory actions from the Coast Guard, including attempts to reassign her from her position as the Academy's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and initiating investigations into her conduct.
Creation of a Hostile Work Environment: Norenberg alleges that, following her protected whistleblower disclosures, the Coast Guard subjected her to a hostile work environment, including being locked out of her work computer and email, and having her access card suspended, which she viewed as efforts to silence and sideline her as a whistleblower.
Procedural History:
June 9, 2024: Shannon released a public statement in which she said, “The Coast Guard lied to me. I can no longer in good conscience be part of an organization that would betray me, betray victims of sexual assault, and betray the system I helped set up to hold perpetrators at the academy accountable.”
June 10, 2024: Shannon Norenberg, serving as the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy since 2013, appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 to blow the whistle, telling the world she was directed by the Coast Guard to lie to Congress as part of a “cruel” sexual assault coverup. Norenberg’s explosive allegations were made the day before a congressional hearing at which the Coast Guard’s first female commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, was slated to testify about the agency’s Operation Fouled Anchor scandal.
June 11, 2024: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Investigations, facing questions about Operation Fouled Anchor and the service's handling of sexual misconduct reports. Senators blasted Fagan at the contentious hearing, saying she fostered a “culture of concealment,” withheld critical information from congressional investigators and failed to hold leaders and perpetrators accountable for serious misconduct.
July 10, 2024: Shannon retracts her resignation in a public letter to Admiral Fagan, stating, “Admiral Fagan, I’m Not Resigning as Coast Guard Academy SARC Until You Repair the Damage Done to Victims of Operation Fouled Anchor.” Vowing to remain in her post and refusing to sign any paperwork to resign until the Fouled Anchor victims were given support, Shannon asked Admiral Fagan, “Do you want to go down in history as the Commandant who trampled on injured Coast Guard members as part of a sexual abuse coverup? Or do you want to be remembered as the Commandant who had the courage and integrity to right these wrongs?”
August 7, 2024: The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations releases a staff report detailing systemic issues within the Coast Guard's handling of sexual assault and harassment cases. The report includes testimonies from over 80 whistleblowers, highlighting ongoing failures and a culture of silencing and retaliation within the service.
January 21, 2025: Adm. Linda Fagan is relieved of her duties as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman. The dismissal is reportedly due to multiple factors, including the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor, which Shannon helped expose.
January 2025: After more than a decade of distinguished service, the U.S. Coast Guard removes Shannon from her position as U.S. Coast Guard Academy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC). Justice4Mariners files whistleblower retaliation and Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP) complaints with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) on Shannon’s behalf.
April 2025: The U.S. Office of Special Counsel’s investigation is ongoing. Shannon remains an employee of the U.S. Coast Guard.
News Coverage:
MaritimeLegalAid.com: The Coast Guard Used Me to Lie to Victims of Sexual Assault at the Coast Guard Academy
CNN: ‘A deep moral rot’: Coast Guard leader grilled by senators at hearing on sexual assault cover-up
MaritimeLegalAid.com: Admiral Fagan, I’m Not Resigning as Coast Guard Academy SARC Until You Repair the Damage Done to Victims of Operation Fouled Anchor
Defense One: Coast Guard leader fired by new DHS officials. Commandant Linda Fagan had drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who accused her of resisting oversight: “The mishandling and coverup of Operation Fouled Anchor has deeply eroded trust in the Coast Guard among the American public, the U.S. Congress and, most devastatingly, within the ranks of those who have sworn to protect and defend this nation in uniform,” the official said. “The failure to adequately address the systemic issues exposed by this investigation has underscored a leadership culture unwilling to ensure accountability and transparency in protecting service members.”
NBC News: Trump administration evicts former Coast Guard leader from her house with 3 hours notice: “President Donald Trump's administration evicted former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan from her home with three hours of notice on Tuesday — not even enough time to gather her personal effects — according to two people familiar with the incident.”
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