Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, a veteran, member of the House Armed Services Committee, and a co-lead of the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus, sent a letter to the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) CEO and Board of Governors raising concerns and demanding answers about deficiencies in CAP’s sexual abuse prevention strategy for its cadet program. In the letter, Goodlander calls for an immediate review of several sex-related criminal allegations involving CAP members and demands an action plan to correct gaps in CAP’s Cadet Protection Program to prevent sexual abuse.
Read the full letter here and printed below.
Dear Major General Aye and CAP Board of Governors,
I write to you with deep concern about deficiencies in the Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) sexual abuse prevention strategy. I request that you immediately conduct a review of several sex-related criminal allegations involving CAP members occurring over the past few years and work to identify an action plan to correct deficiencies in CAP’s sexual abuse prevention strategy.
A nonprofit corporation chartered by Congress, the Civil Air Patrol serves as the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force. It plays a critical role in protecting our nation by providing emergency services, aerospace education for youth and the general public, and administering its cadet program. Congress supports CAP by authorizing approximately $60M annually, administered via a grant supervised by the Air Force.
CAP’s cadet program provides valuable growth and learning opportunities for young people aged 12 to 21 through aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness, and moral leadership. Over 30,000 young people participate each year, including nearly 300 in my home state of New Hampshire.
On February 5, 2020, the youth protection consultancy firm R.L. Nichols LLC produced a report, per a contract with Civil Air Patrol, with recommendations for strengthening the Cadet Protection Program (CPP) to prevent sexual abuse. Per a letter from the firm’s President to then-Director of Cadet Programs, Mr. Curt LaFond, on February 5, 2020, two areas of particular concern included risks associated with instructor-cadet isolation during flight instruction and with existing guidelines for repeat offenders of boundary violations.
Additionally, a 2023 review by Praesidium to determine if CAP’s written policies or procedures meet best practices in abuse risk management found 23 “critical” deficiencies in its Cadet Protection regulations. Referring to these “critical shortfalls,” a February 2025 memorandum by the Air Force cited that CAP had only addressed two of the identified gaps in its youth protection strategy. At the same time, news reports have covered several cases of sex-related criminal allegations involving CAP members over the past few years.
As a veteran, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Military Personnel, and a co-lead of the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus, I am committed to the issue of combating sexual assault, most especially among our youth and our armed forces. Accordingly, please provide responses to the following questions no later than October 16, 2025.
- Does CAP agree that “critical” deficiencies affecting its CPP represent a grave risk to children, families, CAP Inc., and the U.S. Air Force?
- How has CAP worked to implement recommendations of the 2020 report provided by R.L. Nichols, LLC, including the two areas of particular concern outlined in the firm’s 2020 letter?
- How has CAP worked to address each of the 23 “critical” deficiencies in the CPP regulation, as detailed in the 2023 report by Praesidium Inc.?
- How has CAP leadership cooperated with the CAP Cadet Program Office, as the only CAP employees holding credentials in youth safety and out-of-school time pedagogy, to address findings of the 2020 R.L. Nichols report and the 2023 Praesidium Inc. report?
- How has CAP ensured that families of CAP cadets are kept informed about “critical” deficiencies affecting its CPP, along with CAP’s efforts to address these deficiencies?
- Please provide a detailed action plan with policy and practice changes, and a timeline for making the changes, to ensure CAP complies with each recommendation outlined in the 2020 R.L. Nichols report and the 2023 Praesidium Inc. report.
I call upon CAP leadership and the Board of Governors to enforce accountability, show the CAP community that child sexual abuse prevention is a “must not fail” requirement, and re-establish trust. I hope that with this information, we can work towards a solution that ensures the health and well-being of CAP cadets as the highest priority.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Congresswoman Goodlander has dedicated her life to service and is a fierce advocate for protecting the brave Americans in our Armed Forces from sexual abuse. Earlier this year, she sent a letter with her colleagues to Defense Secretary Hegseth demanding answers regarding the pause of military Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) training programs. In the letter, the lawmakers stressed that pausing or terminating these trainings is irresponsible, dangerous, and illegal.
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