COMDTINST 5350.6A governs Coast Guard policy and procedures for preventing, responding to, and ensuring accountability for harassing behavior.
View COMDTINST 5350.6A on armypubs.army.mil
It addresses reports of harassing behavior, low-level and formal resolution, protected characteristics, reporting timelines, convening authorities, and investigations. It requires compliance by specified Coast Guard commanders and officials and establishes mandatory procedures for processing reports.
Applies to: All Coast Guard unit commanders, commanding officers, officers-in-charge, deputy/assistant commandants, and chiefs of headquarter directorates must comply with the policies contained.
Low-level resolution is available to resolve matters outside of the formal processing system except for reports of sexual harassment. (paragraph 7)
To constitute harassment, conduct must be based on a protected characteristic (race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability (physical or mental), parental status, marital status, or genetic information (including family medical history)). (paragraph 7)
Except in cases involving allegations of sexual harassment, reports must be made within forty-five (45) calendar days of an incident or in the case of a series of incidents, the most recent incident, with discretion for reports to be accepted beyond this time frame. (paragraph 7)
District and area chiefs of staff are designated as convening authorities. (paragraph 7)
An investigating officer may be from the same unit where allegations arose except for cases involving allegations of sexual harassment when the investigating officer must be from a separate unit. (paragraph 7)