Coast Guard policy on swastikas, nooses will be revised, Noem says

"The U.S. Coast Guard will remove language from its new workplace harassment policy that downgraded the definition of swastikas and nooses from overt hate symbols to "potentially divisive," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said Thursday, an abrupt turnaround after the more lenient interpretation took effect this week despite objections from Congress."

"In response to The Post's initial reporting in late November, Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard's acting commandant, issued an order condemning and categorically prohibiting swastikas and nooses. In a memo to all Coast Guard personnel, he said then that his directive would supersede any other policy language. But for reasons that remain unclear, Lunday's order was never incorporated in the policy manual that took effect Monday."

"Two people familiar with the policy manual overhaul told The Post this week that the Coast Guard, which is overseen by Noem and the Department of Homeland Security, wanted to strike the "potentially divisive" language from the document but was unable to do so. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the contentious situation."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem directed removal of language in the U.S. Coast Guard's workplace harassment policy that had downgraded swastikas and nooses from overt hate symbols to "potentially divisive." The lenient interpretation went into effect this week amid objections from Congress, prompting internal controversy. Acting commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday issued an order condemning and prohibiting those symbols and wrote that his directive would supersede other policy, but that order was not incorporated into the manual. Department and Coast Guard spokespeople have not clarified whether the removed pages will be replaced or what new language will state.

Read at The Washington Post