Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson (Brennan Linsley / AP)
Though they contend that their hiring practices are sound, the Air Force Academy has announced that they will review their hiring practices, paying special attention to the hire of Dr. Mike Rosebush, in response to the outrage from Truth Wins Out and other organizations based on Rosebush’s history as an “ex-gay” activist:
The Air Force Academy’s superintendent on Nov. 22 pledged to review hiring processes after coming under harsh criticism for employing a senior official who has an extensive history of work with organizations that seek to change gays’ and lesbians’ sexual orientations.
Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson said in a statement that while the academy remains confident in its personnel and hiring practices, it is reviewing its hiring procedures “to ensure they are legally sound, equitable and unbiased.”
The review will also specifically focus on the 2009 hiring of Mike Rosebush, who is an operations research analyst for the academy’s Center for Character and Leadership Development. He developed a program at the academy called Mosaic Personalized Coaching, which is part of the character and leadership 101, foundations of honorable living course, which is required for fourth-class cadets, or freshmen. The academy said Rosebush analyzes data to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mosaic program.
Though they continue to assert that Rosebush doesn’t deal directly with cadets — and he shouldn’t under circumstances, as he is unqualified — we urge the Air Force Academy to acknowledge that, if Rosebush is indeed developing programs in the area of “honorable living,” his professional credentials and beliefs are still so far outside the mainstream that he could still harm the mental health of cadets. We continue to believe that the best course of action would be to terminate Rosebush.
