Naval Officer's Letter Accuses Newspaper Reporter of Sexual Harassment

A U.S. Navy commander accuses a Miami Herald reporter of sexual harassment in a complaint letter to the newspaper's editor that was posted online by a Washington political blog.

FishbowlDC, a blog on the media news site mediabistro.com, posted a copy of a three-page letter dated July 22 that is addressed to Herald Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal and signed by Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey D. Gordon.

The letter — the online copy isn't written on official letterhead — alleges that on "multiple" occasions in the last year, reporter Carol Rosenberg "made abusive and degrading comments of an explicitly sexual nature" against Gordon and others at Guantanamo Bay and Andrews Air Force Base.

"Her behavior has been so atrocious over the years," Gordon said in an interview with The Washington Post. "I've been abused worse than the detainees have been abused."

Gyllenhaal said the Herald is attempting to resolve the matter, but he wouldn't comment on the accuracy of the allegations.

"We're working to sort this out as quickly as possible," Gyllenhaal told FOXNews.com in an e-mail response to a request for comment. "Until then, it's not appropriate to talk about a personnel matter."

FOXNews.com attempted to contact Rosenberg by phone for comment, but she wasn't immediately available. She declined a request for comment from The Washington Post.

In the letter, the Naval commander provides several examples of alleged harassment by Rosenberg, some of which he says made reference to his sexual orientation.

On one occasion, Gordon writes, Rosenberg berated him in front of another journalist about why Sept. 11 codefendant Mustafa al Hawsawi was sitting on a pillow in court.

"Have you ever had a red hot poker shoved up your a—?" Gordon claims Rosenberg asked. "Have you ever had a broomstick shoved up your a—? ... Have you ever had anything in your a—? How would you know how it feels if it never happened to you? Admit it, you liked it."

The letter alludes to an earlier complaint lodged with Gyllenhaal, saying Gordon appreciates the newspaper's efforts to remedy the situation but believes they were only a temporary fix.

"Please note that such vile and repulsive comments were not made in a light-hearted joking tone, but were rather delivered with harsh invective," the letter says.

Click here to see a copy of the letter at MediaBistro.com.

Click here for more on this story from The Washington Post.

FOXNews.com's Catherine Donaldson-Evans contributed to this report.