{"id":10214,"date":"2011-03-23T02:00:19","date_gmt":"2011-03-23T07:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/?p=10214"},"modified":"2015-06-27T19:15:26","modified_gmt":"2015-06-27T22:15:26","slug":"michael-weinstein-incites-faculty-against-usafa-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2011\/03\/23\/michael-weinstein-incites-faculty-against-usafa-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Weinstein Incites Faculty against USAFA?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The prior article on the upcoming religious climate review at USAFA<\/a> noted most major news repeats of the CSIndy<\/em> story missed some of the more interesting details.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press article closed with a single sentence on a related topic:<\/p>\n

The Independent reported that the Air Force also plans to review questions raised by an academy faculty member about the qualifications of some of the faculty.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While the statement may seem unrelated to religion at USAFA, it’s actually an integral piece to the puzzle.\u00a0 Here’s what the Independent<\/em> said:<\/p>\n

A second inquiry…involves alleged accreditation violations, religious discrimination and cronyism in hiring civilian faculty.<\/p>\n

“I am very concerned that [USAFA] may have committed persistent, gross violations of allowing inadequate academic credentials of many military instructors,” R. David Mullin, associate professor of economics, writes in his complaint to the Higher Learning Commission, Chicago, which accredits the academy.<\/p>\n

“Also there have been violations of First Amendment rights and academic freedom by Brigadier General Dana Born, Dean of Faculty, and Richard Fullerton, Vice Dean of Faculty. These two officers have also stifled diversification of the faculty.”…<\/p>\n

Mullin also alleges that more than half of cadets who took Calculus 1 and 2 in their first semester from 1996 through 2006 were taught by professors with unrelated master’s degrees.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The CSIndy<\/em> accurately notes R. David Mullin is the same USAFA faculty member who recently sued USAFA over the National Prayer Luncheon<\/a>.\u00a0 It mentions this inquiry is being investigated by the Air Force Inspector General’s office, though it doesn’t make clear if that is a result of a direct\u00a0IG complaint.<\/p>\n

To put this in perspective, Mullin has taught\u00a0at USAFA for 13 years.\u00a0 According to the CSIndy<\/em>, his accusations involve issues between 5 and 15 years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After all these years, why is Mullin making these accusations now<\/em>?\u00a0 Why is he complaining to the Higher Learning Commission — rather than a host of other avenues — about “violations of the First Amendment”?\u00a0 The HLC\u00a0accredits USAFA, so why\u00a0threaten the very academic credibility of his own employer? \u00a0Why has he saved up and then summarized a laundry list of completely\u00a0unrelated accusations, ranging from diversity to religion, to compose a scathing complaint?<\/p>\n

The most likely answer:\u00a0 Michael Weinstein.<\/p>\n

It appears R. David Mullin, a member of the USAFA faculty, has become the latest pawn of Michael Weinstein.\u00a0 After being rebuffed in his lawsuit with Weinstein, Mullin’s\u00a0latest (unrelated) complaint bears all the hallmarks of\u00a0the Weinstein Method<\/a>.\u00a0 The Colorado Springs Gazette<\/em> described the Method as<\/p>\n

Condemn in the strongest language possible. Publicly embarrass. Sue if necessary. Each new step raises the pressure on his publicity-averse targets.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It may be much simpler:\u00a0 Criticize.\u00a0 Humiliate.\u00a0 Intimidate and threaten.\u00a0 Throw an occasional tantrum.<\/p>\n

Mullin, apparently taking up Weinstein’s mantle, is now “agitating” the very institution paying him to teach academics and professionalism to future US military officers.\u00a0 His tactic is classic Weinstein: Find the target’s ‘oversight’ (in this case, the accreditation agency),\u00a0and inundate them (all<\/em> of them) with every possible permutation of any possible<\/em>\u00a0hint of misconduct (religion, hiring, diversity, qualification…).\u00a0 This tactic is sometimes known as “throwing mud against the wall and seeing what sticks.”\u00a0 [Edited:] Weinstein hopes in all the unrelated accusations he makes, something <\/em>will get dug up in his favor during the inevitable investigation \u2014 or he hopes the investigation itself is enough to negatively influence his targets.<\/p>\n

When a person produces\u00a0a laundry list of unrelated <\/em>complaints, they\u00a0give the impression their goal is not the correction<\/em> of any error<\/em>, but the wholesale public humiliation <\/em>of their target.\u00a0 Its unlikely Mullin is dragging up Calculus from the late 1990s because he’s concerned about the mathematical integration skills of future officers.\u00a0 Instead, its one more way\u00a0USAFA may get in “trouble” (or at least the appearance<\/em> of trouble, which, in the Weinstein Method, is enough).\u00a0 The complaint smells like “payback” over USAFA’s successful defense of the National Prayer Luncheon; it seems to be vindictive sour grapes.<\/p>\n

The “negative publicity”\u00a0given the US military — even if the accusations aren’t true<\/em> —\u00a0is actually intentional<\/em>.\u00a0 Weinstein and his crew have voiced their intention of dragging the US military through the mud in public if it fails to accede to their demands.\u00a0 USAFA stood up to Weinstein, essentially closing the door in his face<\/a>\u00a0after they finally learned\u00a0no matter what they did<\/em>, Weinstein would still<\/em> make unfounded\u00a0and vitriolic accusations against them.\u00a0 After previously being near-giddy over his personal access to the USAFA Superintendent<\/a>, Weinstein\u00a0got upset when he was put back in line with everyone else.\u00a0 He re-declared “war” on USAFA, and now he has a paid member of the USAFA faculty as an ally\u00a0against the Academy (though this isn’t the first faculty member to announce his alignment with Weinstein<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Weinstein has discovered that within military grievance systems — like the Inspector General reportedly investigating Mullin’s complaint —\u00a0he has a\u00a0free pass to harass and coerce\u00a0the US military (as well as distract it from its mission).\u00a0 For example, years ago he discovered IG complaints are no-lose situations for him.\u00a0 (This observation was made here in 2007<\/a>, in an article even the MRFF called “a well-honed presentation.”)\u00a0 Because of the (appropriate) value the military places on its grievance systems, Weinstein has found they\u00a0provide him unfettered access to lodge what appear to be countless and meritless complaints.\u00a0 After all, there are no repercussions to him, even if the accusations are entirely frivolous.<\/p>\n

In fact, he may benefit even if he loses<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0When\u00a0Weinstein complained to the Pentagon Inspector General in another incident (Christian Embassy<\/a>), the IG\u00a0dismissed his accusations out of hand, but\u00a0found fault with Weinstein’s “targets” over a separate issue.\u00a0 According to Chris Rodda, the IG’s new angle essentially “opened a door” for the MRFF to make a bevy of\u00a0new complaints.\u00a0 Thus, Weinstein literally has nothing to lose and everything to gain while he uses the US military’s own systems\u00a0<\/em>in his campaign against religious freedom in the military.<\/p>\n

Ultimately,\u00a0it is unlikely Mullin’s accusations will go very far.\u00a0\u00a0The US Air Force Academy received a 10 year accreditation<\/a> in\u00a02009 from the same\u00a0accrediting group to which Mullin complained.\u00a0 Notably,\u00a0both he and the USAFA leaders he now complains about\u00a0were at USAFA then.\u00a0 Thus, the HLC has already<\/em> evaluated\u00a0the Air Force Academy in\u00a0the environment about which Mullin complains.<\/p>\n

The content of Mullin’s complaint seems to portend this,\u00a0as the\u00a0words chosen\u00a0were specific to the USAFA’s last accreditation report.\u00a0 For example, in the report\u00a0the HLC raised questions of academic freedom and diversity<\/a>, which are\u00a0both key terms Mullin also chose to use in his complaint.\u00a0\u00a0Mullin seems to\u00a0be telling the HLC they didn’t do their job correctly the first time, which is unlikely to endear them to his cause.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Weinstein and his acolytes\u00a0are becoming proficient at wasting the military’s time.\u00a0 The US military, and the US Air Force Academy in particular, have likely committed significant resources to receiving, investigating, and answering the frivolous accusations of Weinstein and his cohorts.\u00a0 At some point the military will likely recognize the futility of trying to placate Weinstein (as USAFA did) and\u00a0begin to view his accusations with the skepticism they are due.\u00a0 In fact, that may already be occurring…<\/p>\n

Despite the fact USAFA earned another attack following its stand against Michael Weinstein, it should take heart:\u00a0 History has shown perseverance against Weinstein’s attacks on the Constitutionally protected human liberties of American troops pays off.\u00a0 Should all his threats fail —\u00a0lawsuits,\u00a0complaints to the military, etc. — Weinstein will, in true form,\u00a0revert to his most trusted custom:\u00a0 He’ll start calling people names<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because when they lose, that’s what\u00a0playground bullies do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The prior article on the upcoming religious climate review at USAFA noted most major news repeats of the CSIndy story missed some of the more interesting details. The Associated Press article closed with a single sentence on a related topic: The Independent reported that the Air Force also plans to review questions raised by an academy faculty member about the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[1613,175,82,1136,1398,1615,85,2,5218,7,1614,65],"class_list":["post-10214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-government-and-religion","tag-accreditation","tag-chris-rodda","tag-constitution","tag-dana-born","tag-david-mullin","tag-inspector-general","tag-mikey-weinstein","tag-military","tag-military-religious-freedom-foundation","tag-mrff","tag-richard-fullerton","tag-usafa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10214"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10214\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}