Racist messages written on a whiteboard at the Air Force Academy in September that made national news and inspired an impassioned speech from a lieutenant general were written by a student supposedly victimized by the messages.
A report from KKTV11 Tuesday states “one of the cadet candidates at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School allegedly targeted by racist remarks has been found responsible for the act.”
The cadet candidate has now left the school, KKTV11 reports.
Spokesperson Lt. Col. Allen Herritage told The Gazette in an email, “We can confirm that one of the cadet candidates who was allegedly targeted by racist remarks written outside of their dorm room was actually responsible for the act,” adding, “(t)he individual admitted responsibility and this was validated by the investigation.”
Messages that read “Go home n***er” were discovered drawn on whiteboards outside the rooms of African-American cadet candidates at the Air Force Academy late September.
The writings sparked national outcry, including a media firestorm that occurred after a speech from Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria condemning racism went viral.
Silveria told cadet candidates that any racists needed to “get out” and extolled the “power of the diversity” of the U.S. military.
He also said in the speech, “We would also be tone deaf not to think about the backdrop of what is going on in our country. Things like Charlottesville, Ferguson, the protests in the NFL.”
The Gazette also reports that the cadet candidate wrote these fake messages “in a bizarre bid to get out of trouble he faced at the school for other misconduct.”
This news comes after The Daily Caller repeatedly sought comment from the Air Force Academy to no response. A reporter’s FOIA request over the racist messages was also delayed.
The identity of the student found responsible has not been released yet.
