AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — A commander at the U.S. Air Force Academy has apologized after a lower-ranking officer sent an email construed as derogatory to African-Americans.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that Master Sgt. Zachary Parish sent the message to cadets Wednesday admonishing them about haircuts and saying retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan was never seen publicly with gaudy jewelry, sagging pants or a backward cap.
Parish is the top enlisted airman assigned to the student body, called the cadet wing. Across the military, top enlisted personnel enforce haircut regulations for lower-ranking personnel.
Col. Julian Stevens, the academy vice commandant of cadets, sent an email apologizing for Parish’s comments. Stevens said Parish’s message contained “microagressions” that could be unrecognized and unintentional bias.
The academy said Parish wasn’t immediately available to comment.
