Coast Guard reverses course on policy to call swastikas and nooses ‘potentially divisive’

WASHINGTON AP The U S Coast Guard has disclosed a new firmer agenda addressing the display of hate symbols like swastikas and nooses just hours after it was publicly revealed that it made plans to describe them as potentially divisive a term that prompted outcry from lawmakers and advocates Divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited the latest Coast Guard protocol published late Thursday declared before adding that this category included a noose a swastika and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups This is not an updated approach but a new agenda to combat any misinformation and double down that the U S Coast Guard forbids these symbols an accompanying Coast Guard press release mentioned The late-night change came on the same day that media outlets led by The Washington Post discovered that the Coast Guard had written a guidelines earlier this month that called those same symbols potentially divisive The term was a shift from a years-long initiative first rolled out in that declared symbols like swastikas and nooses were widely identified with oppression or hatred and called their display a foreseen hate episode The latest guidelines that was rolled out Thursday night also unequivocally banned the display of any divisive or hate symbols from all Coast Guard locations The earlier version stopped short of banning the symbols instead saying that commanders could take policies to remove them from populace view and that the rule did not apply to private spaces outside of residents view such as family housing Both policies maintained a long-standing prohibition on publicly displaying the Confederate flag outside of a handful of situations such as educational or historical settings The latest Coast Guard approach appears to take effect right away After the initial plan change became constituents Democratic Sen Jacky Rosen of Nevada stated the change rolls back essential protections against bigotry and could allow for horrifically hateful symbols like swastikas and nooses to be inexplicably permitted to be displayed At a time when antisemitism is rising in the United States and around the world relaxing policies aimed at fighting hate crimes not only sends the wrong message to the men and women of our Coast Guard but it puts their safety at liability she added Admiral Kevin Lunday acting commandant of the Coast Guard disclosed the plan did not roll back any prohibitions calling it categorically false to claim otherwise in a message published earlier Thursday These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per framework Lunday revealed in a report adding that any display use or promotion of such symbols as perpetually will be thoroughly investigated and severely punished Lunday s predecessor Admiral Linda Fagan was fired on President Donald Trump s first day in office Trump administrators later commented she fired in part for putting an excessive focus on diversity and inclusion efforts that diverted materials and attention from operational imperatives The older plan that was rolled out earlier in November also explicitly declared that the terminology hate affair is no longer present in initiative and conduct that would have previously been handled as a expected hate development will now be treated as a document of harassment in cases with an identified aggrieved individual Commanders in consultation with lawyers may order or direct the removal of potentially divisive symbols or flags if they are uncovered to be affecting the unit s morale or discipline according to the framework The newest agenda is silent on whether Coast Guard personnel will be able to claim they were casualties of hate incidents The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Assurance but it is still considered a part of America s armed forces and the new framework was updated in part to be consistent with similar Pentagon directives according to a Coast Guard message announcing the changes It also has historically modeled multiple of its human materials policies on other military services The plan change comes less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a review of all the hazing bullying and harassment definitions across the military arguing that the policies were overly broad and they were jeopardizing combat readiness mission accomplishment and trust in the organization The Pentagon could not offer any details about what the review was specifically looking at if it could lead to similar changes as seen in the Coast Guard strategy or when the review would be complete Menachem Rosensaft a law professor at Cornell University and a Jewish group leader commented in a comment that the swastika is the ultimate symbol of virulent hate and bigotry and even a consideration by the Coast Guard to no longer classify it as such would be equivalent to dismissing the Ku Klux Klan s burning crosses and hoods as merely potentially divisive Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the move disgusting and it s more encouragement from the Republicans of extremism