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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Coast Guard Academy officers and a lawyer for a number of cadets are disputing one another’s accounts of what occurred to seven college students earlier than and after they had been pressured to go away the Connecticut campus final month after refusing to be vaccinated towards COVID-19.
The New London academy mentioned in a press release Thursday that college officers helped the seven cadets make journey preparations and “funded journey to the placement of their selection.” Officers additionally mentioned all seven cadets reside in secure places, both having returned to their households or staying with households of different cadets.
The assertion contradicted feedback made earlier this week by Michael Rose, a lawyer for a number of of the cadets. Rose informed The Day newspaper that college officers didn’t assist the scholars with journey preparations, didn’t give them any cash for journey and that one of many cadets was pressured to reside in his truck as a result of he’s estranged from his household.
The academy disenrolled the seven cadets final month for failing to adjust to the navy’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, after their requests for spiritual exemptions had been denied earlier this yr. The cadets, whose names haven’t been launched, had been required to go away the campus by Aug. 19.
Cmdr. Krystyn Pecora, an academy spokesperson, acknowledged later Thursday in an interview with The Related Press that the academy didn’t give the cadets journey funds earlier than they left campus, however relatively will reimburse them later when the cadets file their bills, per the college’s basic journey expense coverage.
Pecora additionally mentioned officers had been shocked to be taught concerning the cadet who Rose mentioned was pressured to reside in his truck, saying the scholar informed officers he can be dwelling with a fellow cadet’s household.
Rose mentioned the scholar lived in his truck for 4 days whereas he discovered the place he was going to reside, as a result of he couldn’t keep together with his household as a result of an ongoing dispute. Rose additional mentioned the scholar had knowledgeable academy officers that he had nowhere to go earlier than leaving campus. The cadet is now staying with a highschool pal in one other state.
The academy additionally mentioned in its assertion Thursday that every one seven cadets left the college “at their very own comfort” all through the day on Aug. 19, primarily based on their particular person journey preparations. Rose had mentioned the cadets “had been escorted to the gate like they had been criminals or one thing.”
Rose, who is predicated in Summerville, South Carolina, acknowledged Thursday that he was unsuitable about officers escorting cadets off campus. However he mentioned officers had threatened to have armed guards take one of many cadets off campus if he didn’t go away by Aug. 19.
The academy famous that although the scholars are disenrolled, they haven’t but been formally separated from the Coast Guard and are persevering with to obtain advantages and pay — about $1,600 a month, minus sure bills together with uniforms and books. It was not clear how lengthy the separations will take.
Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin final yr made the COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for service members, together with these on the navy academies, saying the vaccine is vital to sustaining navy readiness and the well being of the drive. A number of lawsuits are difficult that mandate, together with two in South Carolina and Texas involving a few of the Coast Guard Academy cadets that Rose represents, in addition to cadets from different academies.
The seven Coast Guard academy cadets filed for spiritual exemptions to the vaccination mandate in September 2021. They had been informed in March that their purposes had been rejected. They appealed that call, however had been denied in Could and ordered to report back to the academy clinic for vaccination, the academy mentioned.
The seven cadets finally refused to observe that order and had been informed in June that they might be disenrolled for failing to observe the mandate and vaccination orders. They appealed their disenrollments, however had been notified on Aug. 15 that their appeals had been denied. The scholars had been then informed to go away campus by Aug. 19, the academy mentioned.
Rose mentioned the scholars had been informed on Aug. 18 that they needed to go away campus the subsequent day, and lots of scrambled to make preparations.
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