In a shocking revelation, sailors aboard a US Navy submarine circulated sexually explicit lists that ranked female crew members, report suggest.
A 74-page long investigative report reveals two lists – one with star ratings on the women and another containing “lewd and sexist comments” beside each woman’s name. The lists were described as ranking “females by appearances, characteristics and various sexual acts the creators of the list wish to perform with them.”
According to the publication, the boat’s then-chief, Captain Gregory Kercher, was alerted in June when photos of the lists were found. He tried to find the lists on board but did not opened a formal investigation into the case.
Navy officials above Kercher found out about the lists and conducted a formal investigation while the submarine was in the Indian Ocean. The date the investigation began is unknown.
Rear Adm. Jeff Jablon, then-commander of Submarine Group 10, wrote in a letter that few crew members knew what, if any, action had been taken by higher-ups.
“Significant numbers of females became concerned for their safety,” he wrote, “and male members who learned of the list were equally repulsed”.
As a result of the investigation, Kercher was fired. Jablon said Kercher fell “far short of expected standards and norms for an event of this magnitude.”
Adm. Chas Richard commander of U.S. Submarine Forces, told military.com: “While I cannot guarantee that an incident such as this will never happen again, I can guarantee that we will continue to enforce our high standards of conduct and character in the Force,” adding that anyone who falls short of those expectations would be held accountable.
