Six members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter Monday asking the acting secretary of the Air Force to ensure that a task force reviewing the religious climate at the Air Force Academy conducts a thorough and open investigation.
Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., also asks in her letter for an explanation of why Capt. Melinda Morton, a Lutheran chaplain at the academy, was removed from her job as executive officer to Col. Michael Whittington, chief of chaplains. Morton remains a cadet chaplain.
All the signatories to the letter, which will be circulated until Thursday, are Democrats. They include Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; Susan Davis, D-Calif.; Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y.; Dale Kildee, D-Mich.; and Jim McDermott, D-Wash.
Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, whose district includes the academy, called the letter “pure politics.”
“Joel believes the Air Force Academy is already taking steps to correct any problems regarding religious intolerance,” said spokeswoman Kim Sears. “He feels confident the Air Force is doing a thorough job and will ultimately come up with a reasonable solution.”
An Air Force task force visited the academy last week and will give a report to Michael Dominguez, acting Air Force secretary, on Monday.
The academy in March launched a new religious tolerance training program, Respecting the Spiritual Values of All People, or RSVP, after faculty and cadets said there was a perception on campus that Christians, especially evangelicals, received preferential treatment.
Students from Yale Divinity School who watched basic training in June 2004 were concerned about an “overwhelming evangelical tone” in a pluralistic, Air Force training environment.
Shannon Lohrmann, spokeswoman for Capps, said the congresswoman is interested because she’s Lutheran, has a master’s from Yale Divinity School and is concerned about issues involving separation of church and state.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
