Air Force Academy Superintendent Calls For Investigation Of Athletic Department, Over Suspected Sexual Assaults, Drug Use and "Wild Parties"

The Air Force Academy’s superintendent Michelle Johnson has called for an Inspector General Investigation into the school’s athletic department, following a report from the Colorado Springs Gazette detailing drug use and suspected date rape by cadets, including “a core group of top football players.”

Here is the Gazette’s description from one party on Dec. 2 2011 , following Air Force’s 2011 win against Colorado State.

"“The girls’ drink, or Captain Morgan with the blue lid, was only for girls to drink,” OSI confidential informant cadet Eric Thomas told investigators in a written statement obtained by The Gazette. The blue-capped bottle, he explained, was laced with “roofies,” a street term for flunitrazepam, a powerful sedative known as a date-rape drug."

"Thomas told investigators that “four or five females did not recall what occurred the following day after the party.”"

"In one bedroom during the party, “multiple male cadets had sexual intercourse with other unknown females,” Thomas alleged."

Per the report, the school’s Office of Special Investigations ran a “dragnet” that investigated 32 cadets, including 16 football players (only seven made it to graduation). The OSI reportedly cancelled a Jan. 2012 sting operation, for fear they could not prevent women from being raped.

The Gazette’s report also details synthetic marijuana use and alleged academic malfeasances to help athletes.

Many college football programs and universities have had troubling problems handling sexual assault cases. This is particularly bad for the Air Force, coming in the wake of recent scandals regarding the service’s handling of sexual assault cases both within the academy and outside it.

[USA Today Sports]