A black sailor aboard a Navy warship found a noose on his bed last week as the ship was stationed in San Diego, a report said.
Another sailor on the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain, who claimed to have left the noose as a joke, has been removed from the ship as investigators look into the incident, The San Diego Tribune reported.
Navy officials confirmed the probe in a statement to the newspaper.
“NCIS is investigating an incident aboard USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) where an object resembling a noose was found in a berthing area,” said Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman.
“The Navy takes all allegations of Sailor misconduct and racial discrimination seriously. Due to the ongoing investigation, we will not provide further comment.”
A Navy official told the newspaper that NCIS investigators found the suspect while questioning the crew last weekend.
At the time, the unidentified sailor claimed he placed the noose in jest, according to the Navy official.