Two navy field-grade officers probed for alleged sexual harassment

“Tickling the palm with fingers during a handshake can be sexual harassment.”

A female petty officer who works at the Naval Academy reported that she was sexually harassed by two officers who work in the same workplace. According to a naval source on Tuesday, Commander A, a former head of the inspection department tickled her palm twice while shaking hands with her this year.

Lieutenant Commander B made comments that made feel her humiliated during a counseling session for crime prevention early this year, saying, “I understand that you are seeing a troop member and mind your p’s and q’s.” The naval source said the counseling room had only the lieutenant commander and the petty officer. There is no specified rule on the number of people in a counseling session with a female soldier in the naval policies. The naval legal department is investigating the case after the petty officer reported it in the middle of last month.

Lieutenant Commander B admitted that he made inappropriate comments but Commander A denied the allegation. Lieutenant Commander B said that he never expected that his comments made her unpleasant.

“If a small action or comment makes the victim unpleasant, it should be regarded as sexual harassment,” the naval source said. “We’ll investigate them with transparency and punish them strictly depending on the outcomes.”