Ex-AFA Leader Says She's Never Seen 'True Rape'
Former Commander Of Cadet Discipline Blames Permissive Attitude To Drinking
POSTED: 9:36 a.m. MDT September 11, 2003
UPDATED: 5:36 p.m. MDT September 11, 2003
WASHINGTON -- The Air Force Academy officer formerly in charge of cadet discipline told military investigators that she never saw a "true rape" at the academy, and that problems were a result of a permissive attitude toward drinking and fraternization.
Col. Laurie Sue Slavec (pictured, left) made her comments to an air force investigator looking into allegations from female cadets who said leadership at the academy was indifferent to their claims that they were sexually assaulted. They said that in some cases, leaders punished the purported victim for violating academy rules.
Portions of the interview transcript were among the thousands of pages of documents released this week by the Air Force investigative panel.
"Partying is encouraged and partying is a ticket to the acceptance community and partying becomes an environment and you introduce alcohol into that which then dilutes the judgments, then sexual assault becomes an issue," Slavec said. "I've never been party to or witnessed somebody who was ... taken by force, which if you look at that end of the spectrum, a true rape or a true violent assault, I've never seen that happen."
She said in the cases she was aware of, there was "contributing flirtatious activity."
According to Air Force records, there were 142 sexual assaults reported at the academy since 1993. Figures released last week by the Pentagon inspector general said nearly one in five female cadets surveyed said they had been sexually assaulted since arriving at the academy.
"I think it can give the impression to the cadets that it's not critical, that it's not an important issue, that it's not an issue the organization is taking seriously," said Jill McFadden, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "I think the Academy at this point is looking at ways they can take this issue seriously and understand the breadth of how frequently it's happening."
"It's more than disturbing. It speaks to the level of understanding of what constitutes rape," said Anita Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Miles Foundation, an advocacy group for victims of sexual violence.
Slavec made her comments during an interview on March 20 by investigators for a panel appointed by Air Force Secretary James Roche. Her statements came well after problems at the academy had been widely reported and just a week before Roche replaced the academy leadership, including Slavec, who was reassigned to the Pentagon.
Slavec was in the first female class at the academy, graduating in 1980. She became the highest-ranking woman at the academy and commander for the 34th Training Group last year with responsibilities that included developing and implementing policies for cadet discipline, inspections, housing and conduct and monitoring programs impacting cadet morale and welfare.
Nonetheless, when asked by investigators if she knew how the Air Force Academy defined sexual assault, she said she did not.
She said sexual assaults at the academy were a result of a permissive attitude toward male and female cadets spending the night in each other's dorm rooms.
"So then you find cohabitation going on, and you introduce alcohol into it and there may be more than the two people in there and there's a party going on and nobody is saying stop. Nobody is making any indication that this is not consensual, and so cadets just look the other way because it's, "Oh, there they are again sleeping together tonight," she said. "Now, at what point does that become sexual assault? ... You get caught after having sex together for the last six months and now all of a sudden that incident becomes rape."
Slavec also expressed strong opinions on other academy woes.
She said athletes receive special treatment that interferes with the command structure, but the leadership is more worried about doing well in sports than solving problems.
She said Brig. Gen. S. Taco Gilbert was aggressively trying to solve the "frat house" mentality that existed at the academy, but was not receiving support from Maj. Gen. John Dallager, the superintendent of the school. Both Gilbert and Dallager were reassigned and Dallager retired after a demotion.
In the documents, Slavec said she didn't believe the Cadets Advocating Sexual Integrity and Education program (CASIE) would work because cadets were more loyal to their peers than to the school's honor code.
She also said that female cadets do not have a good support structure at the academy, with few women in leadership positions, a finding echoed last week by a congressional panel that is conducting an outside inquiry into the academy.
Among other revelations in the documents, most of which were blacked out, was that Dallager admitted that an Air Force officer who oversaw cadets was a "peeping Tom" and that a faculty member was having sex with two male cadets, the Denver Post said.
Col. Laurie Sue Slavec (pictured, left) made her comments to an air force investigator looking into allegations from female cadets who said leadership at the academy was indifferent to their claims that they were sexually assaulted. They said that in some cases, leaders punished the purported victim for violating academy rules.
Portions of the interview transcript were among the thousands of pages of documents released this week by the Air Force investigative panel.
"Partying is encouraged and partying is a ticket to the acceptance community and partying becomes an environment and you introduce alcohol into that which then dilutes the judgments, then sexual assault becomes an issue," Slavec said. "I've never been party to or witnessed somebody who was ... taken by force, which if you look at that end of the spectrum, a true rape or a true violent assault, I've never seen that happen."
She said in the cases she was aware of, there was "contributing flirtatious activity."
According to Air Force records, there were 142 sexual assaults reported at the academy since 1993. Figures released last week by the Pentagon inspector general said nearly one in five female cadets surveyed said they had been sexually assaulted since arriving at the academy.
"I think it can give the impression to the cadets that it's not critical, that it's not an important issue, that it's not an issue the organization is taking seriously," said Jill McFadden, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "I think the Academy at this point is looking at ways they can take this issue seriously and understand the breadth of how frequently it's happening."
"It's more than disturbing. It speaks to the level of understanding of what constitutes rape," said Anita Sanchez, spokeswoman for the Miles Foundation, an advocacy group for victims of sexual violence.
Slavec made her comments during an interview on March 20 by investigators for a panel appointed by Air Force Secretary James Roche. Her statements came well after problems at the academy had been widely reported and just a week before Roche replaced the academy leadership, including Slavec, who was reassigned to the Pentagon.
Slavec was in the first female class at the academy, graduating in 1980. She became the highest-ranking woman at the academy and commander for the 34th Training Group last year with responsibilities that included developing and implementing policies for cadet discipline, inspections, housing and conduct and monitoring programs impacting cadet morale and welfare.
Nonetheless, when asked by investigators if she knew how the Air Force Academy defined sexual assault, she said she did not.
She said sexual assaults at the academy were a result of a permissive attitude toward male and female cadets spending the night in each other's dorm rooms.
"So then you find cohabitation going on, and you introduce alcohol into it and there may be more than the two people in there and there's a party going on and nobody is saying stop. Nobody is making any indication that this is not consensual, and so cadets just look the other way because it's, "Oh, there they are again sleeping together tonight," she said. "Now, at what point does that become sexual assault? ... You get caught after having sex together for the last six months and now all of a sudden that incident becomes rape."
Slavec also expressed strong opinions on other academy woes.
She said athletes receive special treatment that interferes with the command structure, but the leadership is more worried about doing well in sports than solving problems.
She said Brig. Gen. S. Taco Gilbert was aggressively trying to solve the "frat house" mentality that existed at the academy, but was not receiving support from Maj. Gen. John Dallager, the superintendent of the school. Both Gilbert and Dallager were reassigned and Dallager retired after a demotion.
In the documents, Slavec said she didn't believe the Cadets Advocating Sexual Integrity and Education program (CASIE) would work because cadets were more loyal to their peers than to the school's honor code.
She also said that female cadets do not have a good support structure at the academy, with few women in leadership positions, a finding echoed last week by a congressional panel that is conducting an outside inquiry into the academy.
Among other revelations in the documents, most of which were blacked out, was that Dallager admitted that an Air Force officer who oversaw cadets was a "peeping Tom" and that a faculty member was having sex with two male cadets, the Denver Post said.
Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
