WASHINGTON (ABP) — The controversy over alleged bias in favor of evangelical Christians at the United States Air Force Academy grew May 31, as 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 June 1. The day before, the school's top graduate, Nicholas Jurewicz, sent an electronic farewell to all underclass cadets — about 3,000 in all. The missive reportedly contained a number of quotations from military, political, literary, philosophical and religious figures, including several Bible quotations.
It came just days after Air Force officials reacted to a preliminary report on the religious climate at the academy by reminding the service's leaders that “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 its faculty, administrators and leaders among its corps of cadets. Pentagon officials have appointed a special 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 said May 31, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. “If it does, we will take appropriate action.”