The U.S. Coast Guard abruptly deleted language from its new workplace harassment policy on Dec. 18 that had described swastikas and nooses as “potentially divisive,” the Washington Post reported.
In a message to Coast Guard personnel, Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the branch, said the revisions had been “completely removed” from the policy manual. He added that a separate order he issued last month prohibiting swastikas and nooses “remains in full effect.”
The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America thanked Lunday on Dec. 13 for clearly classifying swastikas and nooses “as hate symbols.”
The sudden decision to fully remove the disputed language appeared to follow a hold placed on Lunday’s nomination to become the Coast Guard’s full-time commandant by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) due to their disapproval of the branch’s policy in its previous form, according to the Post.
Kristi Noem, the U.S. homeland security secretary, stated on Thursday that the language was from “pages of superseded and outdated policy” and was removed “so no press outlet, entity or elected official may misrepresent the Coast Guard to politicize their policies and lie about their position on divisive and hate symbols.”
“Finally, the politicized holdup of Admiral Lunday’s nomination has gone on long enough, and it needs to end,” she wrote.
