Posted: 6/13/05
E-mail from top cadet heats up
Air Force Academy religion controversy
By Robert Marus
Associated Baptist Press
WASHINGTON (ABP)—The controversy over alleged bias in favor of evangelical Christians at the United States Air Force Academy expanded when the school’s top cadet sent a graduation-eve e-mail message laced with religious references to thousands of students.
About 900 cadets graduated from the Colorado Springs, Colo., academy this spring. The day before, the school’s top graduate, Nicholas Jurewicz, sent an electronic farewell to all underclass cadets—about 3,000 in all. The letter contained quotations from military, political, literary, philosophical and religious figures, including several Bible passages.
Jurewicz sent the letter just days after Air Force officials reacted to a preliminary report on the religious climate at the academy by reminding leaders, “Using your place at the podium as a platform for your personal beliefs can be perceived as misuse of office.”
The study came in the wake of allegations that an atmosphere of favoritism toward evangelical Christianity pervades the school, fostered by faculty, administrators and leaders among its corps of cadets. Pentagon officials have appointed a task force to study the allegations, but have declined to say whether the panel’s findings will be made public.
“We will review Cadet Jurewicz’s e-mail to determine if it violates any Air Force or Air Force Academy policies,” academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “If it does, we will take appropriate action.”
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