In an interview with
Colorado Springs Independent reporter Pam Zubeck on December 16, 2010, Born stated that "All the instructors we have, have graduate degrees in the areas they're teaching or a related field." In concluding a year-long investigation of
United States Air Force Academy faculty credentials, the Air Force Inspector General stated in a letter dated, February 10, 2012, that "Brig. Gen. Born was negligent in making an absolute statement to a local newspaper regarding the military faculty's specific academic credentials as they related to teaching disciplines without first confirming the accuracy of the supporting data." Or in other words, her statement was factual but that she had not researched each individual instructor's credentials before responding to the question. On February 17, 2012, the Pentagon released a statement: "Commanders are given broad latitude to administer punishment appropriate with the offense.
United States Air Force Academy [Superintendent] Lt Gen
Gould has reviewed the [Air Force Inspector General] report and will be the officer who decides what, if any, command action will be taken." In a letter from the SAF/IGS to USAFA faculty member, Professor David Mullin, dated Feb 10, 2012, it stated, "...our investigative work found no evidence supporting any allegation or claim that the USAFA faculty is not 'qualified' to teach at USAFA.... The HLC accreditation report found USAFA's faculty to be fully qualified to teach an undergraduate curriculum that results in the awarding of bachelor's degrees. We found no evidence to dispute that conclusion..." Born was deposed on December 9, 2011, as a respondent in an
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission case of alleged disability discrimination filed by former
United States Air Force Academy economics professor David Mullin, who was also a client of the U.S. civil rights organization
Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF). During the deposition, Born was asked if she ordered a subordinate, Colonel Thomas Drohan, to conduct
counter-insurgency analysis against MRFF and its clients. Under oath she denied that she did. Mullin's lead attorney, Robert Eye, wrote, on both February 1 and 29, letters to
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley requesting with acknowledgement a formal investigation into the matter. On March 15, 2012, Eye received a response from Air Force Deputy General Counsel W. Kipling At Lee Jr. He said it would not be appropriate to comment about the status of any investigation, but "I can advise you that the allegations ... are being given appropriate consideration." On 8 June 2012, Eye received a letter from SAF/GCM, Lee stating, "The Office of the Inspector General ... has completed their inquiry in the matters addressed in your February 1, 2012 letter to the Secretary of the Air Force.... the evidence indicated that she (Born) did not direct a counterinsurgency 'Campaign' against the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. They also determined that her response, with regard to the counterinsurgency line of questioning during her December 9, 2011 deposition, was factually correct." In essence, Born was cleared of this allegation. == Education ==