December 20, 2023: Top Stories of 2023: Sexual harassment in the maritime Industry. “However, a plaintiff’s attorney representing victims of maritime harassment argues that the existing legal patchwork provides mariners with little or no effective protection, and getting the Coast Guard involved would help. “Harassment is an enormous problem in the maritime industry and much more widespread than sexual misconduct. Mariners cannot depend on existing laws or company policies to protect them from harassment and bullying,” said attorney J. Ryan Melogy. “AWO wants to roll back protections for mariners.”

November 29, 2023: US Navy Sued After Alleged Rape Of Senior US Merchant Marine Officer. “Ms. Dominguez and other US Merchant Mariners who live aboard U.S. government vessels should not have to live in fear. The United States owes a duty to protect crew members aboard its vessels, and it is failing to live up to that duty,” Melogy said. “Ms. Dominguez is courageously coming forward, at great personal and professional risk to herself, to protect others from similarly traumatic experiences.””

November 29, 2023: Woman says she was raped by Military Sealift captain in lawsuit. “Elsie E. Dominguez, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, says she was working as the civilian 1st Assistant Engineer aboard the USNS Carson City when she was raped by the vessel’s captain and that Navy and Military Sealift Command (MSC) officials failed to protect her from sexual assault, according to a complaint filed in New Jersey federal court. “

December 1, 2023: U.S. Navy Civilian Mariner Sues Service for Not Protecting Her. “When she did file a report in June, her attorney Ryan Melogy said he believes she remained on the job because she had hired an attorney. Following her report, Military Sealift Command returned the captain to the U.S., and “has protected the captain, shielded him from scrutiny, and continued to employ him,” according to the lawsuit.”

November 30, 2023: Lawsuit alleges MSC civilian mariner was raped by captain: “Ms. Dominguez is represented by J. Ryan Melogy of the New York law firm Maritime Legal Solutions, PLLC…The complaint alleges that Ms. Dominguez left the ship while off duty on the evening of December 18, 2021, and that, while she was ashore, someone slipped a drug into her drink…the complaint also alleges that Ms. Dominguez awoke in the early morning of December 19, 2021, to find the captain of the ship raping her as she lay in her bed unconscious.”

November 30, 2023: Civilian engineer says she was sexually assaulted on Navy ship, sues service for not protecting her. “Dominguez reported her assault to Naval Criminal Investigative Service in June and the case is now with the Department of Justice’s Office of Human Rights and Special Prosecutions to determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the captain, said Ryan Melogy, an attorney representing Dominguez for the criminal investigation.”

November 29, 2023: Female Engineer Sues U.S. Navy on Grounds of Rape: “ Female 1st Assistant Engineer was drugged and then raped in her cabin by the captain of US Navy ship USNS Carson City, she claims in relation to a lawsuit she has filed against the US Navy.”

November 13, 2023: Too much or too little? US rules ignite spat over the reporting of ‘harassment’ at sea. Ryan Melogy, a lawyer who founded Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy and who has spoken out about his own experience with harassment when he worked at sea, told TradeWinds that the answer to the Safer Seas Act’s failure to define harassment is not to roll back protections that have been granted to seafarers. Rather, he said the answer is to strengthen those protections. “Instead of removing the requirement to report harassment ... we need Congress to elaborate on this in the next round,” Melogy said, explaining that it is important to have the Coast Guard’s third-party check to ensure shipping companies do not sweep harassment allegations under the rug to protect its own interests. Melogy pointed to his own experience with harassment, and how it is different than on shore. The psychological impact of being harassed on a vessel when you are a crew member is not well understood,” he said. “You are trapped in a floating prison. You can’t go anywhere. You live with these people. There are enormous power imbalances.”

Ryan Melogy: The Accidental Advocate: “An academy graduate and merchant mariner himself, Ryan Melogy never imagined he would become a one-man watchdog for the maritime industry. But that’s what happened…”

November 8, 2023: Crowley named lead defendant in sexual assault lawsuit. FLORIDA-based shipping company Crowley has been named lead defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit by a cadet who alleges she was raped by her supervisor while serving with the company.
The lawsuit in Florida seeks $30,000 in damages and also names the Seafarers International Union and its affiliate the Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship.

November 7, 2023: Crowley faces sexual assault lawsuit brought by female cadet. “Crowley has been named as the lead defendant in a sexual assault lawsuit brought by a female cadet who alleged she was raped while serving sea duties on a vessel managed by the Florida shipping company. The lawsuit also names as defendants the Seafarers International Union and its Seafarers Harvey Lundeberg School for Seamanship.”

September 7, 2023: How can seafarers be protected from sexual violence where impunity reigns? “Ryan Melogy, who has represented Hicks and other victims at sea, said sexual harassment on a merchant ship should be a federal crime, pointing to a law protecting National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration observers who board fishing vessels that could serve as a model. On US-flag ships, investigation of sexual assault and harassment cases falls to the US Coast Guard, which refers cases to the Department of Justice for prosecution, but Melogy has seen those referrals go to a variety of offices. He would like to see those referrals sent to one Justice Department office with expertise in prosecuting sexual crimes, so there is better collaboration with the Coast Guard Investigative Service. Seafarers have seen the Coast Guard suspend or revoke licences in sexual violence cases, but they have not seen an assailant prosecuted, at least not in recent years. “There’s got to be that prosecution,” Melogy said.”

September 5, 2023: ‘Troubling’: Crowley wind executive exits company after sexual harassment complaint: re: MLS clients Vanessa Treminio & Jane Doe #1: “The allegations against Andreini come as Jacksonville, Florida-headquartered Crowley fights back against two lawsuits by two Salvadorean women over the behaviour of former supervisor Juan Emilio Blanco, who had worked in the company’s inland shipping department until 2018. One woman, who remains anonymous, alleged sexual harassment by Blanco, while former employee Vanessa Treminio accused Blanco of assault and rape. Both have claimed that the incidents, which allegedly occurred when they travelled to the company’s Florida headquarters from El Salvador, amounted to sex trafficking.”

August 25, 2023: A mariner accused of raping college student loses ability to work at sea, but escapes criminal charges. “She has never looked back, and never, ever backed down," Hicks' attorney Ryan Melogy told CNN…Federal prosecutors had recently notified Hicks that that they wouldn’t be filing criminal charges against Sison, according to her attorney Melogy. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the agency’s decision not to prosecute Sison.”

August 24, 2023: Engineer in Midshipman-X Case Voluntarily Surrenders License to USCG “Surrendering their licenses has been a common technique used by the accused in many USCG cases to avoid the hearing and potential further penalties. Ryan Melogy, a lawyer for Hicks, told a local New York newspaper Newsday that it was the best outcome they could hope for at this point in the case. It ensures that Sison will never work again on a ship with his U.S. license…Hicks and her lawyer Melogy had continued to advocate for action by the FBI, Department of Justice, and the U.S. Coast Guard.”

August 24, 2023: Midshipman X engineer surrenders credentials, avoiding sexual assault hearing: “The Coast Guard had alleged that on or about August 8, 2019, Sison sexually assaulted a junior crew member too drunk to consent to sexual acts and encouraged junior crew to drink to excess, creating a safety threat…The move means Sison avoids a hearing that had been due to take place in Florida on October 24. He denies the allegations.

August 24, 2023: Midshipman X engineer surrenders work license after sexual assault charge by US Coast Guard MLS Attorney Ryan Melogy was instrumental in helping Hope Hicks initiate the criminal and U.S. Coast Guard Suspension & Revocation (S&R) investigations against Edgar Sison, and in forcing Sison to permanently surrender his Merchant Mariner Credential and exit the industry.

August 25, 2023: Mariner Surrenders License After Sex Abuse Charge. Coast Guard accused him of assaulting cadet at sea: “J. Ryan Melogy, Hicks’ attorney, said the outcome is the “best we could hope for” at this point in the case.“ “This is extremely important given how high-profile this case has become,” said Melogy, who, along with Hicks, attended a recent meeting with federal prosecutors where they were told Sison would not be charged. Messages left with Sison were not returned.”

August 23, 2023: Midshipman X: Mariner Relinquishes USCG License Prior to Coast Guard Rape Hearing: “Ryan Melogy, Hicks’ attorney, voiced his frustration with the Justice Department’s inaction, accentuated by the lengthy resolution timeline and overarching procedures. In a recent statement to gCaptain, Melogy remarked, “This individual has been at sea the whole time. He might opt to surrender his license to halt the procedure, but we’re hoping against that outcome. We’re advocating for a public hearing.” Given Sison’s voluntary license surrender, the chances for such a public hearing appear slim for Hicks and her legal counsel.

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August 1, 2023: Safer Seas Act: Enhancing Maritime Safety and Compliance for US Ship Owners and Operators: The Safer Seas Act aims to combat sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in the maritime industry. It penalizes companies and bystanders that don’t report these kinds of crimes, and requires ship owners to implement more processes and technology to help protect victims while preventing sexual violence on ships.
According to J. Ryan Melogy, Maritime Attorney, the Senate and House versions of the bills are, “as much about holding the US Coast Guard accountable for doing their job to protect mariners at sea as they are about holding predators and shipping companies accountable.”

July 26, 2023: Crowley, the offshore wind terminal operator, accused of sex trafficking “I think the cases and the information that has come out in the discovery process in Vanessa’s case demonstrate a top-down, company-wide cultural problem with the way Crowley handles accusations of sexual misconduct within its company,” Melogy said.”

June 30, 2023: Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment on Vessels: the Safer Seas Act and Legal Implications on Vessel Owners and Operators: Jones Walker LLP cites Ryan Melogy and Hope Hicks’ publication of Hope’s September 2021 “Midshipman-X” blog post with leading directly to the passage of historic maritime safety legislation known as the Safer Seas Act (SSA). Ryan Melogy had been fighting for specific changes to federal law contained in the SSA since 2018.

April 26, 2023: Maersk hired captain previously fired for sexual harassment: Shortly after being hired at Maersk, the captain was involved in a new sexual harassment case. The carrier states it was not aware of his past, and there is no requirement that this information be made available to subsequent employers,” Maersk told Shipping Watch. This highlights ”one of the primary challenges faced by US Flag companies when addressing mariner conduct and shipboard culture,” the company adds. The case revolves around the former Maersk captain whom harassed Michigan’s chief cook Ashley Codrington. MLL then entered a confidential settlement with the former chief cook in January of this year. This is confirmed by court documents and by attorney J. Ryan Melogy from New York-based law firm Maritime Legal Solutions who leads the case of former chief cook at Maersk Ashley Codrington.

April 25, 2023: Coast Guard complaint accuses captain of sexually harassing USMMA cadet & Baldwin woman “…J. Ryan Melogy, a maritime employment attorney, said he believed the complaint regarding the USMMA cadet is the first by the Coast Guard under the Safer Seas Act, which became law in late December making sexual harassment grounds for suspension and revocation…"This shows how the system works," said Melogy, Codrington's Manhattan-based attorney. "Even when somebody gets fired, they just move to the next ship. And then the guy gets promoted from chief mate to captain and now he's doing the same thing … It really shows a broken system where these offenders are able to just simply move around from company to company, even after getting fired."

April 5, 2023: Second woman files federal sex trafficking lawsuit against Crowley Maritime: “The legal team says both lawsuits allege "terrifyingly similar fact patterns" in which the women were brought to Jacksonville and assaulted…The client in the latest lawsuit filed under the name 'Jane Doe.' Her legal team says it follows a closely-related and still-ongoing sex trafficking and forced labor lawsuit filed against Crowley by former employee Vanessa Treminio. Jane Doe and Vanessa Treminio are both represented by Ryan Melogy of Maritime Legal Solutions (MLS), PLLC…”

April 5, 2023: Crowley Maritime faces fresh legal claim over office ‘sexual predator’: “Woman claims her former boss abused his power to terrorize female workers at El Salvador subsidiary…Lawyers for the woman say the attack was part of a pattern of abuse by her boss, identified as Juan Emilio Blanco, who is accused of raping another woman during a similar trip from their office to the US two months earlier…The woman is represented by lawyer Ryan Melogy, who also acts for Hope Hicks, better known as Midshipman-X, whose account of being raped at sea highlighted sexual abuse within the shipping industry…”

April 5, 2023: Second sex trafficking lawsuit filed against Crowley: “Complaint names the same offender, Juan Emilio Blanco, in a related lawsuit that was filed last year by former employee Vanessa Treminio.” Ryan represents both Vanessa Treminio and Jane Doe #1 in their federal sex trafficking lawsuits against Crowley.

August 24, 2023: Sexual assault charges dropped after former Maersk engineer gives up licence in Midshipman X case: Edgar Sison voluntarily surrenders credentials to avoid hearing…

May 11, 2023: Second Seafarer Surrenders License in USMMA Sexual Assault Cases: Mariner who sexually harassed and assaulted MLS client “Midshipman-Y” surrenders merchant mariner credential after being charged with sexual misconduct. Ryan Melogy represented brave Midshipman-Y in her civil, criminal and S&R cases.

April 5, 2023: Esvagt U.S. partner Crowley Maritime charged in New Sex Trafficking Case

March 23, 2023: Case of fired Maersk captain will return to court at US Coast Guard The case against fired Maersk Captain Mark Stinziano remanded back to USCG ALJ Court in Commandant’s Decision on Appeal (CDOA). Ryan Melogy has been involved in USCG vs. Stinziano as a victim and witness since 2015. The case is still unresolved and Stinziano continues to sail with and supervise cadets from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

March 22, 2023: The Coast Guard renewed a mariner’s ability to work at sea after he was accused of rape. Now, the agency is trying to keep him off ships: 1.5 years after Hope Hicks told her story to the CGIS, her rapist was charged with an alcohol violation by the U.S. Coast Guard. Ryan is representing Hope as she seeks justice through the criminal and Suspension & Revocation processes.

March 16, 2023: Failed oversight, lax punishments: How the Coast Guard has allowed sexual assault at sea to go unchecked: “Two years after her time at sea, Hicks decided she needed to do something. Sitting at a desk in the barracks one night, she typed out the details of her alleged assault and sent it to Ryan Melogy, a former mariner who became an attorney and outspoken advocate for reform in the industry after allegedly experiencing sexual misconduct himself. He ran a blog and Instagram account that had been attracting increasing attention in the maritime industry, and she told him he could publish her story.”

January 27, 2023: MLS Definitive Statement on Resolution of Ashley Codrington’s Sexual Harassment Claims Against Maersk

January 26, 2023: Maersk settles in sexual harassment case between captain and cook: MLS Client Ashley Codrington reaches resolution with Maersk.

January 13, 2023: Esvagt's US partner Crowley met with sex trafficking and forced labor charges: Esvagt signs $Billion deal with Crowley Maritime to build offshore wind installations in U.S. Esvagt CEO declines to comment on Crowley’s sex trafficking and forced labor litigation.

January 12, 2023: US federal judge OKs sex trafficking lawsuit against Crowley Maritime Corporation: Federal judge ruled MLS client Vanessa Treminio’s sex trafficking and forced labor lawsuit against Crowley Maritime Corporation will move forward.

January 12, 2023: Judge rules sex trafficking case against Crowley can proceed “Former employee says she was raped by her supervisor during a business trip to Crowley’s US headquarters”

January 10, 2023: Sex trafficking, forced labor lawsuit against Crowley Maritime will move forward

January 12, 2023: Judge Rules Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Against Crowley Can Move Forward

January 10, 2023: Judge allows sex trafficking lawsuit against Crowley to proceed

January 10, 2023: Sex trafficking, forced labor lawsuit against Crowley Maritime will move forward Federal judge ruled MLS client Vanessa Treminio’s sex trafficking and forced labor lawsuit against Crowley Maritime Corporation will move forward.

December 22, 2022: US Lawmakers Pass Seafarer Safety Protections to Combat Sexual Violence at Sea (“The penalty for noncompliance [in this bill] is a joke,” said J. Ryan Melogy, who was also part of Midshipman-X’s legal team. “Not reporting an oil spill into the marine environment is a criminal offense, and rape should be treated as seriously as spilling oil.”

December 9, 2022: MLS Client Ashley Codrington Was Sexually Harassed by Her Maersk Captain. Now the U.S. Coast Guard is Seeking to Revoke his License.

November 23, 2022: MLS Client “Midshipman-Y” and Maersk Line, Limited reached a confidential agreement in her litigation against the company.

November 23, 2022: Shipping’s Attempt to Hire More Women Runs Into a Male-Dominated Culture (MLS Client Midshipman-X referenced)

November 18, 2022: Merchant Marine cadet resolves sex assault lawsuit against shipping line Maersk (MLS Client Hope Hicks)

November 18, 2022: Hope Hicks, Maersk Line, Limited, Resolve Sexual Assault, Harassment Litigation

November 02, 2022: Maersk close to settlement in Hope Hicks case. CEO Soren Skou: “We believe it took place.”

June 15, 2022: Two students sue shipping giant Maersk, alleging sexual assault and harassment (Lawsuits filed against Maersk by MLS clients Hope Hicks & Midshipman-Y)

October 7, 2022: Midshipman X2 – US Ship Captain Is Accused Of Rape (MLS Attorney Ryan Melogy quoted)

February 16, 2022: Culture of fear at Merchant Marine Academy silences students who say they were sexually harassed and assaulted (Features profile of MLS Attorney Ryan Melogy)

10/16/2021: Interview with Ryan Melogy

May 3, 2022: Maersk captain suspended four months after judge Michael Devine finds multiple sexual assaults and pattern of extreme sexual harassment against USMMA deck cadet constituted ‘hazing’, not ‘molestation’ (Ryan Melogy was victim and witness in underlying USCG S&R trial against Maersk Captain)

October 14, 2021: A Merchant Marine cadet said she was assaulted at sea. Her account has Washington looking for answers

August 23, 2022: Number of reported maritime sexual offenses growing in the US

June 29, 2022: In the very masculine world of the merchant navy, cases of harassment and sexual violence are slowly emerging (Highlights Ryan Melogy’s activism)

June 13, 2022: Maersk After Several MeToo Cases: “We Have a Problem”

June 12, 2022: Ashley received inappropriate messages from her Maersk captain. Now she is calling out the company

October 27, 2021: Meet the Whistleblower Who Helped Expose the Midshipman-X Case (Interview with MLS Attorney Ryan Melogy)

June 2, 2021: With Little Oversight, Ships Continue to Breed Toxic Behavior

June, 16, 2022: U.S. cadets suing shipping company, alleging rape and harassment at sea

August 22, 2022: Lawsuits filed against shipping giant Maersk for sexual assault of US Merchant Marine cadets

August 26, 2022: Captain fired by Maersk Line Ltd after ‘hazing’ suspension

June 30, 2022: Maersk changes procedure in sexual misconduct cases after legal struggle in US

June 16, 2022: Second USMMA student files lawsuit against Maersk unit over sexual harassment (Midshipman-Y [MLS client] lawsuit against Maersk)

June 29, 2022: Maersk captain was convicted of offenses on a ship – authority demands stronger sentence

June 17, 2022: Sexual abuse and harassment ‘systemic’ on ships: Hope Hicks says she has heard ‘too many cases to count’ from women wary of speaking out

September 8, 2022: Maersk in settlement talks with Hope Hicks and Midshipman Y

June 17, 2022: Sexual offences on Maersk ship investigated as criminal case

August 23, 2022: Maersk fires captain due to harassment case from 2015

June 14, 2022: Maritime Legal Solutions & Sanford Heisler Sharp File Two Lawsuits Against Shipping Giant Maersk for Sexual Assault and Harassment of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Cadets

September 22, 2022: US aims to tighten shipping law – could lead to major penalties in harassment cases

June 15, 2022: Maersk accused of having known of harassment cases back in 2016 and doing nothing to promote prevention

June 15, 2022: USMMA cadet suits: Women assaulted, abused on training ships during year at sea

September 22, 2022: Maersk CEO Soren Skou to 70,000 employees: “Tell me about inappropriate behavior”

June 15, 2022: Midshipman-X Identity Revealed As Hope Hicks

June 15, 2022: No longer anonymous, “Midshipman X” files suit against Maersk Line

June 15, 2022: A merchant navy cadet is suing Maersk, saying the company failed to protect her from rape and sexual harassment on board one of its ships

June 15, 2022: Midshipman X revealed: USMMA student heartened by response to essay detailing sex assault at sea

June 15, 2022: "Midshipman-X" Reveals Her Identity in Suit Against Maersk Line Ltd.

June 19, 2022: Maine Maritime Academy leaders address claims of sexual assault, harassment on campus

June 10, 2021: MMA graduate shares personal story of being assaulted on campus 14 years ago

June 14, 2022: 'Midshipman-X' Revealed, Files Suit Against Maersk

October 11, 2021: Maersk Captain Faces Fire Over Allegations of Sexual Misconduct at Sea. Mariner Could be Stripped of his License over Accusations of Groping Shipmates & Other Illegal Behavior.

October 13, 2021: Cantwell Demands Accountability From USMMA, Coast Guard, DOT Leaders Following Sexual Assault Allegations

November 3, 2021: Federal sailors academy halts at-sea training as it reckons with sexual assault accounts

October 12, 2021: ‘I was trapped’: Shipping giant investigates alleged rape of 19-year-old during federal training program

October 12, 2021: Maersk suspends five crew members and launches investigation after student claims she was raped as a 19-year-old virgin on one of their ships by engineer, in his 60s, who had forced her to drink 'shot after shot' of hard liquor

November 30, 2021: Cadet’s rape allegation brings fresh scrutiny to Sea Year program

November 2021 (MLS Attorney Ryan Melogy cited as contributing source): Organizational Assessment of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy: A Path Forward

December 16, 2021: U.S. Transportation Department issues rules to protect maritime cadets from sexual assaults at sea

October 11, 2021: USMMA Sea Year under fire after rape allegations surface

October 12, 2021: Maersk Suspends Five Officers Over Alleged Rape of Cadet Aboard Ship

October 13, 2021: Maersk shipping firm suspends five for alleged rape of sole female student aboard ship

October 14, 2021: Confronting the sexual abuse narrative pervading an indifferent shipping industry

October 12, 2021: Maersk suspends crew after rape allegation involving cadet

October 10, 2021: Rape At Sea – An Open Letter To Midshipman X

October 13, 2021: U.S. lawmakers press for action on maritime sexual assault allegations

October 10, 2021: AP Møller-Maersk Takes Action on Sea Year Sexual Assault Case

October 8, 2021: Creepy Rape Shocks Maersk: “We are deeply shaken by this”

December 2, 2021: Maersk continues to investigate rape case

February 8, 2022: Maersk fires five after case of possible rape

October 9, 2021: 19-year-old: I was raped on a Maersk Ship

June 15, 2022: US Merchant Marine Academy students sue over alleged sexual misconduct

October 9, 2022: A suspected rape of a 19-year-old American woman on board a Maersk ship, has shaken the Danish shipping company. The level of detail in the post has led to Maersk suspending five naval officers and initiating a comprehensive investigation into the process.