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The foundation that funds the latest iteration of The Cadet newspaper is seeking an investigation of what it is characterizing as a campaign of disparagement of the newspaper by Virginia Military Institute’s administration.
In response to a petition that’s calling for such an investigation, Tom Watjen, the president of VMI’s board of visitors, initially, on Aug. 7, asked for the state assistant attorney general to look into whether VMI’s administration or board initiated negative media attention The Cadet received in the wake of its winning several Virginia Press Association awards this spring, including the association’s top honor for journalistic integrity and community service.
More recently, Watjen, in an updated message to the VMI community on Aug. 16, said the investigation would be handled internally within the VMI administration. “After further consideration, we have chosen to handle this matter in the normal course of business,” said Watjen in a message posted on the VMI website, “and I am discussing with [VMI Superintendent] Maj. Gen. Wins his plans for doing so.”
A petition sponsored by The Cadet Foundation, the fundraising organization for The Cadet newspaper, is being circulated online via the Change.org platform. The petition is addressed to Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Victoria LaCivita of the state attorney general’s office and Del. Ellen Campbell.
The petition accuses certain administrators at VMI of bringing “into question the integrity of VMI cadets [and] alumni” and challenging the VPA’s “professional integrity” in bestowing awards on The Cadet for the newspaper’s coverage of VMI’s diversity, equity and inclusion program as well as mental health services at VMI. The petition alleges that “VMI’s perpetuation of misinformation to the VPA, media and others ultimately resulted in the VPA’s formal independent investigation and all the associated negative media coverage.”
In the weeks after The Cadet received its VPA awards in May, articles in Cardinal News, an online publication, and The Washington Post raised questions about the awardwinning articles.
Cardinal News noted that The Cadet, in its articles that were highly critical of VMI’s DEI programs, failed to mention the newspaper’s association with Bob Morris, a VMI alumnus who has been in litigation against VMI over the DEI programs. Morris helped start the latest iteration of The Cadet two years ago, and is president and treasurer for The Cadet Foundation The Washington Post called attention to an article in The Cadet that had been at least partially copied from a press release submitted by a VMI alumni organization whose domain is registered to Morris. Both the Washington Post and Cardinal News questioned the role Morris played in the content of articles in The Cadet.
In response to these articles, the VPA hired an attorney to investigate its awards procedures. A subsequent report from the attorney found that the rules for judging entries in the VPA’s contests had been properly followed. The VPA decided that the awards would stand.
The petition sponsored by The Cadet Foundation that was posted Aug. 1 on Change.org is entitled “Save Free Speech at Virginia Military Institute – Stop Attacking Cadets And Their Newspaper.”
The petition asks that VMI’s board of visitors “perform its statutory duties and conduct a public, fair, thorough, open, transparent, impartial, and equitable review/investigation into the deliberate actions by VMI to question the integrity of its cadets and alumni over the journalism awards won by the cadets’ independent student newspaper, The Cadet, and hold those responsible accountable if that review/investigation substantiates the statements in this petition or other inappropriate or illegal actions. The investigation to be organized and conducted by a BOV member acceptable to the cadets and former cadets impacted, as the aggrieved parties.”
In his initial statement posted on VMI’s website Aug. 7, Watjen,said, “Despite references to the contrary, I have not yet seen any indications that the administration is intentionally engaged in proactively sharing information with individuals or news organizations to lead them to a particular story line, something implied by a petition being circulated in social media.”
However, because of the allegations that have been made against VMI, Watjen said he had asked that the assistant attorney general assigned to VMI by the state’s attorney general look into these matters and report back to the full board during the closed session of its September meeting. “With this information in hand, the institute and the board will be able to better determine what, if any, additional actions may be required,” wrote Watjen.
In the subsequent message he posted on Aug. 16, Watjen withdrew this request and said the VMI administration would look into the matter. “As I’ve said many times, we need to put this behind us so the focus may be squarely on the Institute and its role in developing the leaders of the future,” wrote Watjen.
Reached this week, Morris said having the VMI superintendent handle the investigation “is contrary to what the petition signatories are asking for. The petition is very clear about its objectives. It requires an impartial and transparent investigation with the results made public. Given Maj. Gen. Wins’ and his staff’s involvement to this point, as well as serious previous issues documented by cadets and others, conflict of interest becomes a concern and calls to question the issue of impartiality.”
Further, Morris said, “The lack of specific details in Mr. Watjen’s updated message as to who was consulted in changing the way the investigation is to be conducted raises additional questions as to the handling of this controversy. The best way ‘to put this behind us,’ as conveyed by the president, is to fulfill what is called for in the petition.”
Morris said the petition “was created through a collaborative effort by a group of alumni, cadets, parents and members of the public, informed by comments at the July Board of Visitors Executive Session and the results [of] an independent investigation of the situation by alumni, and others, independent of The Cadet Foundation. It was coordinated with The Cadet Foundation’s fellow Alumni Free Speech Alliance affiliates, after which The Cadet Foundation agreed to sponsor it on Change.org. The AFSA affiliates also promoted it to their supporters.”
The Cadet newspaper, in its current form, is not sanctioned by VMI. A newspaper that was sanctioned by VMI that went by the same name ceased publication in 2016.
