New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill was barred from walking with her graduating class at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 after becoming entangled in one of the largest cheating scandals in the school’s history, according to records obtained by the New Jersey Globe.
The documents show Sherrill’s name missing from the May 25, 1994 commencement program, which listed graduating midshipmen. The congresswoman confirmed she was not permitted to participate in the ceremony, explaining that her refusal to identify classmates implicated in the scandal led to the punishment.
“I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk,” Sherrill said in a statement to the Globe. “But I graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor.”
The scandal rocked the academy, ensnaring 130 midshipmen accused of cheating on an electrical engineering exam. While Sherrill graduated and received her commission, she declined to release sealed disciplinary records that would shed further light on the decision to block her from walking at commencement.
The revelations land at a politically sensitive moment for Sherrill. Just hours before the story broke, a new poll showed her deadlocked with Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, erasing what had been considered a comfortable lead for the Democrat.
Midshipmen are persons of integrity: They stand for that which is right.
They tell the truth and ensure that the full truth is known. They do not lie.
They embrace fairness in all actions. They ensure that work submitted as their own is their own, and that assistance received from any source is authorized and properly documented. They do not cheat.