Editing United States Air Force Academy (section)

===Allegations of sexual harassment, assault and gender bias===
{{see also|2003 United States Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal}}
The sexual assault scandal that broke in 2003 forced the academy to look more closely at how effectively women had been integrated into cadet life; concerns with sexual assault, [[hazing]] of male cadets, and the disciplinary process during this period were detailed in a 2010 book by a former cadet.<ref>{{Cite book
| edition = 1st
| publisher = Wheatmark
| isbn = 9781604943955
| last = Graney
| first = David W.
| title = Rogue institution: vigilante injustice, lawlessness, and disorder at the Air Force Academy
| location = Tucson, AZ
| date = 2010
}}</ref> Following the scandal and rising concerns about sexual assault throughout the U.S. military, the Department of Defense established a task force to investigate sexual harassment and assault at each of the United States service academies. The report also revealed 92 incidents of reported [[sexual assault]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dtic.mil/dtfs/doc_recd/High_GPO_RRC_tx.pdf |title=Report of the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault and Violence at the Service Academies, June 2005 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019132701/http://www.dtic.mil/dtfs/doc_recd/High_GPO_RRC_tx.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2018 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> At the same time, the academy implemented programs to combat sexual assault, harassment and gender bias. The new programs actively encourage prompt sexual assault reporting. The academy's decisive actions of zero tolerance were praised by officials and experts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aimpoints.hq.af.mil/display.cfm?id=7030 |title=David Kassabian, "Experts Praise AFA's Steps Against Sex Assault," ''Aimpoints,'' Oct. 7, 2005 |publisher=Aimpoints.hq.af.mil |date=7 October 2005 |access-date=2012-02-20 }}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} </ref>

Following the 2003 crisis, the Department of Defense directed its attention to the problem of sexual harassment and assault at the military academies. The Department of Defense claimed that the program was successful although during the school year 2010–11 there were increased reports of sexual assault at the academy; however, one goal of the program is increased reporting.<ref name=DOD20102011>{{cite web |title=Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies Academic Program Year 2010–2011: Report to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives |url=https://www.sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FINAL_APY_10-11_MSA_Report.pdf |publisher=United States Department of Defense |access-date=27 December 2011 |date=21 October 2011 |quote=The 65 reports represent an increase from the 41 reports made in APY 09-10. The Department does not have the ability to conclusively identify the reasons for this increase in reporting behavior. However, in prior years' assessments, the Department identified steps the academies could take to encourage more victims to report. Some of the increased reporting of sexual assault may be attributed to these efforts as well as many other factors. |archive-date=9 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130909160308/http://www.sapr.mil/public/docs/reports/FINAL_APY_10-11_MSA_Report.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> There have been several attempts to prosecute cadets for rape since 2003,{{citation needed |date=April 2023}}{{when |date=April 2023}} but only three have resulted in convictions, citing the confidential informant program that ran from 2011 to 2012. The informant program was led by former AFOSI agent Brandon Enos, AFOSI's most successful agent in Air Force Academy's history in combating sexual assault and drug use among cadets. After the confidential informant program was mysteriously disbanded in 2013 on orders from General Johnson, sexual assault reporting fell by half. On 5 January 2012 rape charges were referred against cadets in three unrelated cases.<ref name=AFARape>{{cite news|title=3 AFA cadets charged with rape|url=http://www.gazette.com/articles/rape-131225-academy-story.html|access-date=5 January 2012|newspaper=The Colorado Springs Gazette|date=5 January 2012|author=Tom Roeder|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109035406/http://www.gazette.com/articles/rape-131225-academy-story.html|archive-date=9 January 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  To help combat these problems, the [[United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations]] (AFOSI) created a system of cadet informants to hunt for misconduct among students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gazette.com/honor-and-deception-a-secretive-air-force-program-recruits-academy-students-to-inform-on-fellow-cadets-and-disavows-them-afterward/article/1510262 |title=HONOR AND DECEPTION: A secretive Air Force program recruits academy students to inform on fellow cadets and disavows them afterward |last1=Philipps |first1=Dave |date=1 December 2013 |website=gazette.com |publisher=Colorado Springs Gazette |access-date=1 December 2013 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011128/http://gazette.com/honor-and-deception-a-secretive-air-force-program-recruits-academy-students-to-inform-on-fellow-cadets-and-disavows-them-afterward/article/1510262 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to ''[[The New York Times]]'' in academic year 2014, "after the informant program ended with no further convictions, reports fell by half."<ref name=Times08102014>{{cite news |title=Informant Debate Renewed as Air Force Revisits Cadet Misconduct |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/us/informant-debate-renewed-as-air-force-revisits-cadet-misconduct.html |first=Dave |last=Phillips |date=9 August 2014 |website=The New York Times |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-date=12 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812135551/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/us/informant-debate-renewed-as-air-force-revisits-cadet-misconduct.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

''The New York Times'' cited a letter to Congress from former AFOSI Agent, Staff Sergeant Brandon Enos, who said that Lieutenant General [[Michael C. Gould]], the superintendent from 2009 to 2013 and a former quarterback on the team, had repeatedly interfered in cases involving football players. In turn Gould said to the Times that the suggestion that he had interfered with the investigation "preposterous."<ref name=Times08102014/> Gould was found guilty by a report from the Pentagon in June 2016 of interfering with AFOSI investigations from 2011 to 2012, including blocking an investigation into the football coaches.  Gould was subsequently removed from the College Football Selection Committee.<ref name="cfpsc">{{cite web |title=College Football Playoff Selection Committee |url=https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2017/10/16/selection-committee.aspx |website=College Football Playoff |access-date=5 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512034945/https://collegefootballplayoff.com/sports/2017/10/16/selection-committee.aspx |archive-date=12 May 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

These and other problems again rose to national prominence in the summer of 2014 when ''[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]]'' broke an investigation into behavior by Academy cadets and faculty that included allegations of drug use, alcohol abuse, cheating, and sexual assault.  This behavior, described as "so wild that AFOSI leaders canceled a planned 2012 sting out of concern that undercover agents and confidential informants at a party wouldn't be enough to protect women from rape," prompted the academy superintendent to call for an investigation of the academy's athletic department.<ref name=Gazette_2014>{{cite web |url=http://gazette.com/broken-code-afa-superintendent-calls-for-investigation-of-athletic-transgressions/article/1534978 |title=Broken Code: AFA superintendent calls for investigation of athletic transgressions |author=Tom Roeder |publisher=[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]] |date=4 August 2014 |access-date=4 August 2014 |archive-date=4 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804032642/http://gazette.com/broken-code-afa-superintendent-calls-for-investigation-of-athletic-transgressions/article/1534978 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2023 survey found 22% of female cadets and 4% of male cadets had experienced unwanted sexual contact, ranging from touching to rape.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/04/06/1168490365/reports-of-sexual-assault-at-u-s-military-academies-have-significantly-increased |title=Reports of sexual assault at U.S. military academies have significantly increased |access-date=8 April 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408051653/https://www.npr.org/2023/04/06/1168490365/reports-of-sexual-assault-at-u-s-military-academies-have-significantly-increased |url-status=live }}</ref>