Sherrill barred from Naval Academy graduation walk amid cheating scandal, records show
Records indicate Rep. Mikie Sherrill was not listed on the 1994 commencement program after declining to identify fellow midshipmen tied to a 130-person cheating incident at the U.S. Naval Academy.
WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill was barred from walking with her graduating class at the U.S. Naval Academy during the May 25, 1994 ceremony amid a cheating scandal that affected about 130 midshipmen in her class, according to a bombshell report from the New Jersey Globe.
Records obtained by the New Jersey Globe show Sherrill’s name was not listed on the official commencement program, the outlet reported. The congresswoman has said she declined to name classmates involved in the scandal and that she did not walk, though she was commissioned as a Navy officer and served nearly a decade with distinction. “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but 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,” Sherrill told the outlet.
Sherrill said she did graduate and was commissioned and went on to serve nearly ten years in the Navy with distinction. She also declined to authorize the release of sealed disciplinary records that would have detailed the reasons she was barred from walking at graduation.
The New Jersey Globe’s report adds to a growing set of questions about the 1994 incident. The New York Post, which published the initial archival details, noted that Sherrill’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and AP coverage of her remarks framed her as saying she chose not to identify colleagues involved in the scandal.
Hours after the report, a shock poll showed Sherrill dead even with Republican Jack Ciattarelli, marking a dramatic shift in a race that had previously seen her as the frontrunner for months. The new findings come as the campaign seeks to navigate both policy discussions and the renewed focus on past events that could influence voter perceptions ahead of the election.
The 1994 cheating scandal at the Naval Academy involved roughly 130 midshipmen and prompted investigations into how the misconduct was handled within the brigade of midshipmen and the academy’s broader culture. Sherrill’s decision not to name classmates, coupled with her exclusion from the commencement program, remains a point of contention and a topic of inquiry for voters evaluating her record and judgment decades later.
As the race progresses, the disclosures add a layer of scrutiny to Sherrill’s public service biography and her bid to lead New Jersey. Campaigns in down-ballot races often face renewed attention to past episodes, and political observers note that how this information is contextualized by voters and reporters could influence the dynamics of the governor’s race in the time ahead.