No. of Recommendations: 13
My understanding is that, yes, technically, she violated the honor code by not turning it classmates who cheated on the final exam by studying an advance copy of it, but she kept kept her own honor by not being a snitch. I understand her argument, and in some ways, agree with it. In part, her superiors agreed with it as well, by allowing her to graduate, but not walk with her class.
Annapolis differs from West Point in that it does not have an “honor code”. It has an “honor concept”. Critics may joke about “concept” rather than “code” but the object is to strive for a higher standard of behavior than a simple “code” enforces.
Absent in this “concept” is the absolute requirement to report those who cheat.
At the center of it all is the academy’s “honor concept,” which holds that midshipmen “are persons of integrity.”
“They stand for that which is right,” it reads. “They tell the truth and ensure that the truth is known.” And in bold: “They do not lie.”
But unlike the honor code at West Point, there is no “non-toleration” clause holding students directly responsible if they tolerate others who cheat.
A former U.S. Naval Academy classmate of Sherrill’s, who asked not to be identified, said investigators and the Navy didn’t like midshipmen who wouldn’t “rat out” their classmates.
“We were taught to be loyal and stand up for our shipmates all day every day, and this scandal really pitted loyalty against institution,” the former classmate said. “I respect Mikie for not turning people in.”
The individual recalled that the Navy “conducted a massive, drawn-out investigation, uncovering everything and everyone involved. A distinguished board then reviewed every detail for each person and assigned punishments as they saw fit, outside of normal procedures or precedent.”
The classmate said it wasn’t a legal or a Uniform Code of Military Justice issue: “It was a custom court that looked at each person individually ... The Navy completely mishandled the crisis and could have easily avoided it.”
Another former classmate who responded to questions about what happened said only that “I did not know Mikie well and during that incident we never talked about it.”
Sherrill, meanwhile, released a campaign ad on Saturday featuring a fellow former Navy veteran praising her service.
“I would know because I served alongside her,” Lt. Cmdr. Karsten says in the clip. “She was distinguished multiple times and was honorably discharged. Attacking her service record isn’t just wrong, it’s a blatant lie.”
Ultimately, 24 students were directly implicated and expelled from the academy as a result of the cheating scandal. None were identified. There were no public announcements about the others who were punishedhttps://www.nj.com/politics/2025/09/did-sherrill-v...A fine line. And Sherrill was punished for not snitching- though not nearly as severely as those who cheated and were expelled.
She went on to have an honorable career in the Navy.
Nobody likes a cheater. But also, nobody likes a snitch.
This was the moral dilemna that Sherrill was asked to negotiate. The board that sanctioned her felt she negotiated that dilemna incorrectly, but not nearly as incorrectly as those who actively cheated.
