A scheduled lecture by a University of Utah professor was recently canceled by the U.S. Air Force Academy after officials raised concerns over her past online commentary.
According to Military, Professor Paisley Rekdal was invited to speak at the academy in September, but the invitation was withdrawn after a review of social media posts critical of former President Donald Trump sparked controversy over potential political bias in speaker selection.
The lecture was to be part of the Jannetta Lecture Series, an annual program developed to encourage cadets at the military institution to engage deeply with cultural and moral themes surrounding war. Rekdal, a professor at the University of Utah and an acclaimed author, had been chosen to discuss war memorialization through the lens of her book, “The Broken Country,” as well as her poetry.
Her book explores the enduring psychological effects of the Vietnam War, focusing in part on the story of Kiet Thanh Ly, a Vietnamese immigrant involved in a violent incident in 2012. Rekdal had planned to channel these narratives to prompt reflection on memory, trauma, and the human cost of conflict. However, the academy rescinded the invite before the event could take place.
University professors' writings draw the academy's attention
The decision followed an informal review of Rekdal’s social media presence, where officials reportedly found remarks criticizing Trump and his policies. One such post described a Trump-era executive order limiting student protests and targeting undocumented students as a “move toward authoritarianism.”
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the superintendent of the Air Force Academy, informed lecture series donor David Jannetta of the cancellation. Bauernfeind stated that while Rekdal’s views were constitutionally protected, academy leadership deemed it improper for her to appear at the military installation.
According to Rekdal, she never received formal notification or reasoning for the cancellation. Instead, she says she was told unofficially that academy leaders had come across her political commentary online and decided to retract the offer.
Donor voices concern over neutrality in speaker choices
Jannetta, an alumnus who founded the Jannetta Lecture Series in 2008, responded with disappointment. He emphasized that political affiliation had never previously influenced speaker selection and said he is reevaluating his future support for the academy.
"I won’t support a lecture series where again, the author has to pass some muster of a litmus test for political reasons," Jannetta said. He recounted how the academy had once hosted author Roxana Robinson for a talk on wartime ethics without controversy.
Jannetta also recalled how inspired he was as a cadet when he heard author Joseph Heller speak, ultimately prompting him to establish the lecture series to engage new generations of leaders in open and critical discussion.
Lecture series aimed to expand cadet perspectives
Rekdal’s scheduled topic aimed to explore questions of national memory, time, and loss using literature as a guide. She reflected on the power of Maya Lin's Vietnam Veterans Memorial design, saying it prompts deeper thought about the pace and meaning of grief.
“History is better served when we hear more people's stories,” Rekdal said, underscoring the importance of diverse perspectives in academic environments—even military ones.
The Air Force Academy issued a statement saying the cancellation was aligned with its obligation to remain nonpartisan. It reiterated its commitment to the Jannetta Lecture Series and said it would review future speaker selection processes to ensure consistency.
A wider pattern of speech-related cancellations was observed
The incident falls within a larger national trend of canceled campus lectures. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), colleges and universities now experience roughly one lecture disruption every two to three days.
“We are very concerned with the increasing number of attempts and the sheer volume of them,” said Sean Stevens, research adviser at FIRE. He noted that while campus disruptions declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have since returned to previous levels.
Similar cancellations have occurred at other military institutions. For example, the U.S. Naval Academy recently canceled an appearance by author Ryan Holiday after he declined to modify a presentation that included criticism of the military establishment.
Political tensions affect more than academics
The influence of current political divides hasn’t been confined to guest lectures. Charlie Kirk, a conservative public figure and member of the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, recently called for the swift restoration of the academy's chapel, a project surrounded by debate.
Meanwhile, Colorado Springs Congressman Jeff Crank has requested more transparency from the academy in the form of staffing plans, following the earlier resignations of multiple civilian faculty members.
The convergence of these developments has pointed to growing sensitivity at military institutions around topics with political implications, even in academic programming meant to challenge cadets’ thinking in constructive ways.
Both sides reflect on what was lost
Jannetta said he intends to extend a personal apology to Rekdal, stating that he believed her unique viewpoint would have benefited cadets. “The more cadets are challenged, the better leaders they are going to be,” he noted.
Though not wholly surprised by the cancellation, Rekdal expressed concern that such events are becoming more frequent and pointed to their implications for open dialogue in both civilian and military institutions.
As the Air Force Academy looks to revise its guidelines, the future of politically sensitive lectures remains uncertain, even as voices on both sides stress the value of robust, critical discussion in environments aimed at producing thoughtful leaders.
