Air Force Academy superintendent responds to rising cases of sexual harassment on campus

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The United States Air Force Academy's (USAFA) Superintendent released a statement to parents and cadets in response to the Department of Defense's Annual Report on Sexual Harassment.

The report focuses on data gathered from the last two academic years from 2021 to 2022. In a statement, the superintendent stated there was an "unacceptable increase in unwanted sexual contact of cadets."

According to survey results from the Defense Department data, one in five female students said that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact.

The report also found that student-reported assaults at the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies jumped 18% overall.

Today’s report identifies an unacceptable increase in unwanted sexual contact of our cadets. There is nothing that erodes trust and tears down teams faster than sexual harassment and violence. As Warfighters this impacts the mission and our readiness. We need a culture reset.

Those found to have perpetrated sexual harassment and violence under my command will be held accountable. Every single complaint is taken seriously and will be handled in line with local laws and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Last fall, I directed a holistic Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Redesign. We brought together cadets, alumni, permanent party, our Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team, and national subject matter experts as the culmination of our redesign efforts. Our goal was to identify what works and what doesn’t in our training and our culture. I asked for bold thinking

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, United States Air Force Academy Superintendent

Moving forward, the USAFA stated the academy "will continue to evaluate existing training for effectiveness, while also implementing the recommendations of the Department of Defense's Independent Review Commission."