Courtney Statement After Coast Guard Allows Its Official Policy Manual to No longer Classify Nooses and Swastikas as Hate Symbols

NORWICH, CT - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) released the following statement after the U.S. Coast Guard allowed its official policy manual to characterize nooses and swastikas as "potential divisive" rather than the pre-existing declaration that they were hate symbols.

"Despite the explicit message from Coast Guard leadership on November 20^th that the offensive policy that described nazi symbols and nooses as 'potentially decisive' would not take effect, the official policy manual of the Coast Guard still retains this outrageous position," Courtney said. "The confusion and contradiction that surrounds this debacle needs to be fixed completely and comprehensively, without any legalese. The sacred reputation of the Coast Guard is at stake with this fiasco, and for the sake of its reputation and future standing, I join my other House colleagues in imploring Coast Guard leadership to act swiftly."

Connecticut's Second District is home to U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London. Earlier this year, Congressman Courtney was reappointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors.