Washington, D.C.–After receiving First Liberty Institute’s appeal, as well as correspondence from Members of Congress, the Secretary of the Air Force today announced that it reversed the unfavorable decision of an Air Force Equal Opportunity investigator against decorated Air Force Colonel Leland Bohannon, clearing his name, and fully restoring his service record.
Col. Bohannon was on the verge of being promoted to a one-star general when he was suspended from command in 2017. Orders were also handed down recommending he not be promoted.
The colonel was punished after he declined to sign a “certificate of spouse appreciation” for a retiring master sergeant’s same-sex spouse.
First Liberty Institute, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms, argued that the colonel went out of his way to accommodate the airman by having a two-star general sign the document.
Col. Bohannon had flown combat missions in the Middle East and he is the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal. His punishment brought strong condemnation from Republicans in Congress.
“Col. Bohannon has suffered severely on account of the EO investigator’s mishandling of his religious liberty rights,” eight U.S. senators wrote in a letter. “The Air Force owes it to him to see that justice is restored, along with his good name.”
The following statement may be attributed to Hiram Sasser, General Counsel for First Liberty Institute:
“We are very pleased that Secretary Wilson protected the religious liberty of Col. Bohannon. This is clear evidence that the Trump administration is helping to right the ship at the Pentagon. However, we must remember that at every level of the government there are bureaucrats who actively resist President Trump’s efforts to preserve and protect religious freedom. We must do whatever we can to support the administration in this fight.”
In a letter to Representative Vicki Hartzler, Secretary Wilson stated that Col. Bohannon had the “right to exercise his sincerely held and did not discriminate” when his faith prevented him from personally signing an optional, unofficial spouse appreciation certificate for the same-sex spouse of one of his retiring subordinates, even though a two-star general agreed to sign the form in his place.
First Liberty hopes that this will lead to increased clarity for commanders responsible for protecting the religious liberty of all service members.
