Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses 'potentially divisive'

"The U.S. Coast Guard has allowed a new workplace harassment policy to take effect that downgrades the definition of swastikas and nooses from overt hate symbols to "potentially divisive" despite an uproar over the new language that forced the service's top officer to declare that both would remain prohibited. The new policy went into effect Monday, according to written correspondence that the Coast Guard provided to Congress this week, a copy of which was reviewed by The Washington Post."

"The Post was first to report on the Coast Guard's plan to revise its workplace harassment policy last month. The Trump administration called the article "false," but within hours of its publication the service's acting commandant, Adm. Kevin Lunday, issued a memo forcefully denouncing symbols such as swastikas and nooses, and emphasizing that both remain prohibited. Lunday said at the time that his Nov. 20 memo would supersede any other language."

The Coast Guard allowed a revised workplace harassment policy to take effect that reclassifies swastikas and nooses as "potentially divisive" rather than explicit hate symbols. The manual is posted online and cancels the prior version. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security spokespeople did not immediately respond to inquiries. The issue is slated for consideration at a House committee hearing. Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday issued a Nov. 20 memo denouncing swastikas and nooses and stating his memo supersedes other language, asserting both symbols remain prohibited. Publication of the new policy was not paused despite the memo. Lunday is acting commandant and faces a Senate confirmation vote after his predecessor was removed.

Read at The Washington Post