September 10, 2020

Dear MMA Students, Faculty and Staff,

Maine Maritime Academy was recently subjected in an online blog post to derogatory allegations by an individual with a history of misrepresenting the handling of alleged sexual assault at maritime academies. The post is inaccurate. It neither accurately recounts any reported case at MMA nor accurately represents the Academy’s policies and procedures. Moreover, the person who posted the account has no connection to MMA and no individual has come forward to provide actionable information. Accordingly, this online posting is being reviewed by both state and federal law enforcement officers as well as an attorney specially assigned by the Maine Office of the Attorney General to advise the Academy.

I want to be clear that MMA takes all reports of sexual misconduct seriously and follows very specific procedures to protect the victim and ensure that our processes are followed. Regardless of the attempt by this online posting to defame certain MMA employees, I have full faith and confidence in each of their abilities to handle these and all other matters. We do not condone sexual misconduct and we handle all complaints in accordance with federal law.

We actively encourage and depend on individuals to come to us in the first instance with their concerns so that we can take all appropriate actions in a timely manner.  Therefore, if you have any concerns about how you or another member of our community has been treated by the Academy, or if you have questions about how the academy addresses these issues, please promptly direct your communication to Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth True (elizabeth.true@mma.edu; 207-326-2659), Dean of Students, Deidra Davis (deidra.davis@mma.edu; 207-326-2138), or Director of Human Resources, Carrie Margrave (carrie.margrave@mma.edu; 207-326-2665).

Thank you.

Dr. William J. Brennan
President
Maine Maritime Academy