(Hartford, CT) – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following joint statement in response to a report by the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security finding evidence that the Coast Guard Academy retaliated against a whistleblower who reported racial bias:

“The Inspector General’s report is a damning indictment of the Coast Guard Academy’s handling of racial discrimination and harassment. It is consistent with what we have heard from constituents – prompting our original call for action from the Academy. We fully expect immediate, thorough and transparent steps to change this atmosphere of racial hostility and hold Academy staff and officers accountable for their actions.”