Judge dismisses Navy engineer's assault lawsuit as workers' compensation case

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a civilian Navy engineer who alleged she was raped by her ship's captain, ruling that her claim must be handled through the federal workers' compensation system. The decision ends Elsie Dominguez's years-long effort to hold the government accountable in court for what she described as systemic failures in protecting her and providing care after the assault. Dominguez, a first assistant engineer with Military Sealift Command and a lieutenant commander in the Navy Reserve, filed the lawsuit against the United States in 2023. She alleged that on December 18, 2021, while the USNS Carson City was docked in Brindisi, Italy, she was drugged and later raped in her locked stateroom by the ship's captain, Yamil Sanchez Padilla. According to her complaint, he used a master access code to enter her room. Dominguez reported the alleged assault the next morning. The lawsuit accused the Navy and Military Sealift Command of negligence, claiming they failed to secure master access codes, repair broken security cameras, and provide adequate care after she came forward. In 2024, a federal judge paused the case and asked the U.S.