A former maritime electrician surrendered his license to the U.S. Coast Guard after being accused of sexually harassing a teenage United States Merchant Marine Academy cadet in 2021, according to Newsday.
Paul Pagano, who worked on the Alliance Fairfax ship, relinquished his maritime license before hearings against Pagano began. The U.S. Coast Guard filed a complaint seeking to revoke Pagano’s license and credentials last month.
Efforts to reach Pagano or other officials for comment were unavailing.
The sexual harassment allegations were filed by the female cadet, who was 18 at the time, in 2021.
She identified herself as ‘Midshipman-Y’ in the account. She said was warned by another female cadet who completed work on the Alliance Fairfax ship that the nearly all-male crew was filled with “creepy” individuals.
Midshipman-Y, in the complaint, said she endured unwanted sexual touching and advances along with sexualized jokes. Her experience was so harmful to her that she said she began to sleep in the bathroom clutching a knife.
The bathroom, she said, had the only door that could not be unlocked by other crew members who had master keys.
Midshipman-Y’s direct supervisor, the chief mate, allegedly treated her worse than other male counterparts, constantly belittling her and made her do tasks outside of her job description, according to the complaint.
The chief mate’s alleged discriminatory behavior became too much for her to deal with, she said, and she feared the harassment would continue until she was eventually raped. The midshipman requested an emergency evacuation.
Maersk’s designated person ashore allegedly told her “this can’t keep happening,” once she informed them of her evacuation request.
The midshipman said she endured panic attacks and suffered “debilitating emotional distress” as a result of the harassment and ultimately took a leave of absence from the academy in Kings Point.
A cargo ship captain accused of raping a female cadet and attempting to assault another woman from the United States Merchant Marine Academy surrendered his mariner’s license in October, according to the Coast Guard.
John Christopher Merrone, 50, surrendered his credentials to the Coast Guard on Oct. 25, according to officials.
Merrone, whose alleged misconduct was outlined in a report filed by the agency weeks before he surrendered his credentials, denied the allegations.
He allegedly invited a pair of female cadets into his stateroom and gave them alcoholic drinks spiked with an undisclosed drug or intoxicant without their knowledge in 2019 while aboard the Liberty Glory Vessel, officials said.
“[The Maritime Administration] has strengthened measures that will help us prevent sexual assault and harassment, aggressively prosecute perpetrators and improve support for survivors while supporting urgently needed culture change in the maritime industry to make it safer for all mariners,” Maritime Administrator Ann Phillip said in a statement.
Officials from the administration declined to comment further on the allegations against Merrone, touting the “importance of student privacy.”
The Merchant Marine Academy reported 61 instances of alleged sexual assault, harassment, stalking and relationship violence since 2019 in a 23-page report released earlier this year.
A total of 26 alleged sexual assault incidents and 35 sexual or gender-based harassment, stalking or relationship violence incidents occurred over the past three years, as of Dec. 15, the academy said.
Female midshipmen were the survivors of 20 sexual assaults during the 3-1/2-year analysis. Female midshipmen were also survivors of 22 of the alleged harassment, stalking or violence incidents, according to the report.
Additionally, there were 13 “restricted” and 22 “unrestricted” reports, with one case being transferred to the FBI to probe and two individuals leaving the academy, according to the report.
“Restricted” reports indicate the incident was disclosed to a sexual assault response coordinator or victim advocate, though no official investigation was requested, officials said. “Unrestricted” reports resulted in an administrative investigation and provided the victim with an opportunity to notify law enforcement.