gative Service (NCIS), created after the NIS was
dissolved for mishandling its investigation. In all,
119 Navy and 21 Marine Corps officers were cited for
indecent assault, indecent exposure, and conduct
unbecoming an officer. About ninety victims were
identified, six of whom were officers’ wives. The
Navy and Marine Corps were ordered by Secretary of
the Navy H. Lawrence Garrett III to discipline sev-
enty officers, fifty of whom were involved in the
“third-floor gauntlet” and six of whom were involved
in staging a cover-up.
Punishment Admiral Snyder was relieved of his
command for taking no action after Coughlin’s
complaint. Three admirals attending the conven-
tion were censured for taking no action to stop the
massive sexual harassment and assault, and thirty ad-
mirals received adverse letters to be placed in their
permanent records. Forty other lower senior offi-
cers received adverse letters or fines for their ac-
tions. On the uppermost level, Naval Secretary
Garrett resigned and Chief of Naval Operations
Frank Kelso decided to retire. Both men were identi-
fied as near the third floor when the infamous gaunt-
let began.
In regard to direct sexual assault, not a single per-
son was convicted. Although Coughlin identified
the main officer who assaulted her, a military pre-
trial hearing dismissed charges for lack of a single
witness willing to corroborate her account. Cough-
lin and six other victims were more successful in di-
rect legal suits against the Tailhook Association and
the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. Tailhook reached a pre-
trial settlement of $400,000 for Coughlin and an un-
disclosed six-figure amount for the other victims.
The Las Vegas Hilton was charged with failing to pro-
vide the necessary security to prevent the sexual ha-
rassment and assault on Coughlin and others. After
a seven-week trial, the hotel was ordered to pay
Coughlin $1.3 million in compensatory damages
and $3.9 million in punitive damages. Although
about a dozen security guards were present in shifts
during the convention, little was done to stop the
raucous behavior.
Impact The Tailhook scandal was a historic turn-
ing point in the way that sexual harassment claims
were handled in both the military and the broader
workplace. It dramatized that tolerance of harass-
ment could be costly not only financially but also
professionally. It also showed that traditional means
of institutional obfuscation and cover-up did not al-
ways work. Although the sexual harassment problem
continued in the military, it did so in a much less vir-
ulent form.
As a result of Tailhook, in 1994 women were per-
mitted to serve on combat ships. Involvement in the
scandal ended or seriously damaged many promis-
ing careers. One career that ended voluntarily was
that of Lieutenant Paula Coughlin, who resigned
from the Navy in February, 1995.Further Reading
McMichael, William H.The Mother of All Hooks: The
Stor y of the U.S. Navy’s Tailhook Scandal. New York:
Transaction, 1997. A graphic narrative of the
event along with analysis of court proceedings
and how the Navy mishandled the affair.
U.S. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector
General.The Tailhook Report: The Official Inquir y
into the Events of Tailhook ’91. New York: St. Mar-
tin’s Press, 1993. The detailed and shocking gov-
ernment report resulting from official investiga-
tions.
Zimmerman, Jean.Tailspin: Women at War in the Wake
of Tailhook. New York: Doubleday, 1995. A study of
the effect of Tailhook on the battle for gender
equality in the military.
Irwin HalfondSee also Defense budget cuts; Gulf War; Scandals;
Women in the military; Women in the workforce. Take Our Daughters to Work
Day
The Event The program involves parents or
guardians taking their daughters to work to
encourage career development
Date Instituted in 1993 as the fourth Thursday of
AprilSeveral surveys in the early 1990’s, including a nation-
wide poll by the American Association of University
Women, concluded that there was a significant drop in the
self-esteem of young American girls between the ages of nine
and fifteen. The Ms. Foundation for Women used this in-
formation to initiate Take Our Daughters to Work Day, an
event designed to empower girls to succeed and to encourage
them to pursue careers.The Nineties in America Take Our Daughters to Work Day 831