Air Force Academy probes alleged cheating

4,300 cadets confined to campus amid code violations involving porn, booze

By Alan Cooperman

The Air Force Academy is investigating allegations of cheating by 28 freshmen and has restricted all 4,300 cadets to campus over the weekend, asking them to meet in small groups to consider "their self-image and the image of the institution," Air Force officials said yesterday.

In addition to the cheating, the academy's superintendent, Lt. Gen. John F. Regni, cited other recent disciplinary problems in a stern speech this week to the entire student body, faculty and staff.

Forty-three cadets lost their Internet privileges in January because they had downloaded pornography or visited pornographic Web sites, and there have been recurring incidents of alcohol abuse, academy spokesman Johnny Whitaker said.

Nineteen percent of the freshman class was failing academically at the end of the fall semester, giving it the lowest collective grade-point average in 20 years, he added.

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