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.