The U.S. Coast Guard launched an internal investigation after a swastika was found on a bathroom wall at a primary recruit training center in New Jersey.
The swastika— widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party and linked to the killing of millions of Jews — was found in the bathroom of the training center in Cape May, and the branch referred the matter to the Coast Guard Investigative Service for a probe, a Coast Guard spokesperson told The Hill on Monday.
The symbol was removed.
It was found by a Coast Guard instructor, according to The Washington Post, which first reported on the investigation.
Following the symbol’s discovery, Adm. Kevin Lunday, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, traveled to Cape May, where he addressed nearly 900 recruits and staff to discuss the incident directly, “reinforce the Coast Guard’s strong standards and policies, and reaffirm the Service’s dedication to accountability through our core values,” according to the Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard has always unequivocally condemned and punished the display of hate symbols or imagery associated with intimidation, hatred, or oppression. Such conduct is incompatible with our core values and has absolutely no place within our Service,” the Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is safe, professional and respectful for every member of our workforce,” the spokesperson added. “Any behavior that undermines these standards will be addressed swiftly and seriously.”
The incident comes as the Coast Guard faced blowback late last year after it temporarily downgraded the swastika and noose to “potentially divisive” symbols. The change prompted senators to place a hold on Lunday’s nomination.
In December, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the branch would remove divisive language from its new workplace harassment policy.
“Anyone who adheres to or advances hate or extremist ideology – get out. Leave. You don’t belong in the United States Coast Guard and we reject you,” Lunday said in a statement to The Hill on Monday.
“We will not allow anyone to put a stain of hate on our United States Coast Guard,” he added. “We will not be defined by the cowardly acts, but instead be defined by our unwavering response and our resolve to defeat them.”
