A religious-freedom group that pushed the Army to remove a job posting for an ROTC assistant professorship at an Illinois college that required its applicants "be of Christian faith" got its wish earlier this month.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation flagged the posting in a Nov. 6 letter to Army Secretary John McHugh. The Army's response — a letter sent to the MRFF by Anthony Stamilio, deputy assistant secretary for military personnel and quality of life — states that the service has "removed all university preferences from our assignment postings."
The MRFF included the reply in a news release issued late last week.The group's president, Mikey Weinstein, had called the provision "Constitutionally noxious" and "an abhorrent nightmare."
An Army spokesman would not comment on whether the MRFF complaint triggered the removal, nor would he say what other university preferences, if any, had been were removed from ROTC job postings.
"The Army is currently reviewing the SROTC assignment policy," Lt. Col. Ben Garrett said in an emailed statement. "The Army remains committed to assigning officers to meet the needs of the Army, in accordance with all applicable equal opportunity policies and statutes."
All Wheaton College professors, students and staff annually affirm Wheaton's Community Covenant, "a voluntary social compact that expresses the commitments and values that flow out of the community's shared Christian faith," media relations director LaTonya Taylor said last month when the issue first made headlines, including a Fox News report.
Weinstein said an active-duty officer brought the job posting to his group's attention.
"We thought it was a joke, at first," Weinstein said in November.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
