Peter N. Kirstein - Air Force E-mail Controversy

Air Force E-mail Controversy

Kirstein initially gained notoriety in a nationally publicized academic freedom case when an e-mail surfaced revealing that he made vitriolic comments to a United States Air Force Academy cadet in late October 2002. His e-mail was in response to a cadet's e-mail request to promote an academic forum on "America's Challenges in an Unstable World: Balancing Security with Liberty" at the United States Air Force Academy. Kirstein refused to support the forum due to his opposition to war and "your aggressive baby killing tactics of collateral damage." Kirstein's e-mail also compared the cadet to the Washington snipers. The cadet, the Air Force Academy, St. Xavier University and Kirstein exchanged apologies.

As a result of these controversial events involving academic freedom and free speech, he was suspended from teaching at St. Xavier University with just three weeks remaining in the semester. He received a written reprimand that was expunged three years later from his file. While on sabbatical the following semester, he underwent an unscheduled post-tenure review. On October 27, 2012 at the American Association of University Professors Shared Governance Conference in Washington, DC, he presented a paper, "Ten Years On: The Kirstein Suspension Case, Shared Governance and Academic Freedom." He spoke Saturday, November 3 at North Park University on his case and its enduring relevance ten years after.