Navy Midshipmen Accused of Lewd Behavior

Mar 27, 11:37 AM

Current Headlines: The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., is investigating complaints that uniformed midshipmen engaged in lewd behavior on a Caribbean cruise.

A female passenger on the Carnival ship Glory accused a group of eight to 10 male midshipmen of drunkenly groping women, offering alcohol to teenagers and other improper behaviors, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday.

I was 'felt up' by one of the very drunk men and I was given the misfortune of watching them grab and disrespect every woman they could get close to as well as seeing them offer the underage (15 and 17-year-old) girls at our table alcohol, the passenger wrote in an e-mail. I cannot tell you strongly enough how EMBARRASSED these 'gentlemen' made me feel to be an American. I can only imagine what the foreigners on our ship and in port thought of us.

Officials at the Naval academy said they have been unable to identify the midshipmen referred to in the complaint.

At this stage, we simply need more facts, said J. Bonnie Newman, chairwoman of the academy's Board of Visitors, a civilian oversight panel. But to know that any young men would behave in the manner described, be they midshipmen or not, is very disturbing.