Congress Must Restore Strong Protections Against Swastika And Noose Displays

I am writing to urge you to act immediately in response to a Coast Guard workplace harassment policy that was first slated to take effect, then withdrawn after widespread backlash, and has now been reinstated with largely the same troubling provisions. The reinstated policy weakens protections against harassment by downgrading swastikas, nooses, and Confederate symbols from explicit hate symbols to merely “potentially divisive.” This change is not semantic. It affects how incidents are interpreted and how consistently misconduct is addressed across commands. At a time of rising antisemitism and racist threats nationwide, this shift has serious consequences for safety, morale, and trust within the ranks. Display Of Swastikas And Nooses Must Remain A Clear Violation As reported by The Washington Post, the Coast Guard initially planned to implement a revised harassment policy that reclassified swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive” and removed “hate incident” language. After strong public criticism from civil rights groups and former Coast Guard leaders, the service paused and withdrew the policy. That pause has now ended, and the Coast Guard has reinstated the same downgraded language. By reclassifying universally recognized hate symbols as merely “divisive,” the policy shifts these displays from clear violations to matters of interpretation and weakens consistent enforcement. Although leadership states that these symbols remain “prohibited,” the written policy no longer requires the same immediate and uniform response. In practice, policy language governs enforcement and discipline, not public assurances. Undo A Reporting Deadline That Silences Victims The reinstated policy includes a strict 45 day deadline for reporting harassment. For a maritime service, this deadline is unworkable. Coast Guard members are often deployed at sea for months with limited privacy and no safe way to report misconduct. A service member who encounters a swastika or noose while underway may have no realistic opportunity to report the incident until returning to port, by which time the 45 day window may already have closed. This deadline suppresses reporting and shields repeat offenders. Congress Must Reverse This Policy And Protect Service Members I urge you to publicly oppose the reinstated policy and press the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard leadership to reverse the downgraded classifications. Congress should require confirmation that swastikas and nooses are unequivocal hate symbols subject to immediate removal. Lawmakers should question Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Acting Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, about why a withdrawn policy was reinstated. Congress should also use the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 4275) to eliminate the 45 day reporting deadline and restore strong harassment protections.