Huntsville received some press in the current issue of the Military Times (Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times, and Marine Times).  Normally, being part of a story read by more than 300,000 military people would be a good thing for the City.  However, this story is partly about the Huntsville City Schools and the Board of Education – and their foul treatment of Master Sergeant CJ Grisham.

Bouhammer’s Afghanistan Blog posted the Army Times article “The Rise and Fall of a Military Blogger”:

…he (CJ Grisham) is an unabashed con­servative with razor-wire wit who has cast stones at what he calls “Repugnicans” and “Dumbocrats” alike but has also been to the White House twice — invited first by President George W. Bush, and more recently by President Barack Obama — for roundtable discussions on military outreach.

All this while remaining a top­rated senior noncommissioned officer, a troop-leading first sergeant and an active counterin­telligence agent, according to his fitness reports. “A true Soldiers’ Soldier. Promote to SGM immedi­ately,” gushed his senior rater in Grisham’s most recent evaluation in June…

Grisham’s most recent battle with his superiors grew out of his blogging about disagreements he had with the local school board after they decided to im­plement a student uniform policy halfway into the year without input from parents.

Grisham, who had two kids in the school, posted unflattering video he shot of school officials fumbling through a meeting. School offi­cials called the Army to complain. His company com­mander, Capt. Brian Hawkins, called Grisham in to talk about it. “I felt like this was a matter be­tween him and the school,” Hawkins said. “They were con­cerned about him being a threat. I can tell you he’s not a threat. I read what he wrote. I didn’t take it as threatening.” Hawkins’ message to the school: “If you feel threatened by him, if you feel threatened by anyone, you should call the police.” School officials instead took their complaints up the chain of command.

In the weeks that followed, Grisham says, Redstone Arsenal garrison commander Col. Robert Pastorelli and Command Sgt.

Maj. Rickey Cooper repeatedly called him on the carpet, ordering him to remove posts.

Grisham said he was ordered to see investigators at Criminal In­vestigation Command to deter­mine whether he’d broken any laws.

“They said the only threat I made was to threaten a lawsuit and, of course, that’s not illegal,” Grisham said…

“It’s not a lawful order and it goes to the heart of free expres­sion,” said Capt. Mike Lebowitz, an Army lawyer for the Virginia National Guard who regularly lectures at Yale University on mil­itary free speech issues. “Filming anyone at a public meeting is fair game.” “I don’t know how he disgraced the NCO Corps,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chad Vervaet, an instructor at the NCO Academy, who has moved his son out of the same school because of problems there.

“This never should have been a military issue in the first place. I was at all the same meetings at the school with C.J. and he never once threatened anyone.” “This is a failure of leadership on the Army’s side,” said Dale Jack­son, a former soldier and local radio journalist who has been cov­ering the controversy. “Instead of the commanders protecting their soldier, they just tried to make the problem go away by telling C.J. to shut up. Except C.J. stood his ground. He’s not one to be bullied.”

Blackfive posted “Military Times covers CJ Grisham”:

Now, pray that there is not yet more retaliation against him for defending himself.  Given all that has gone on, I have no faith or confidence that he will not face official, or more likely unofficial and potentially illegal, retribution for standing up for himself. 

Frankly, I still hope that Congress or others might like to look into all that has happened, from the initial IG investigation and ruling on same, and have already suggested same to some members of Congress.  Yes, I really do think it has reached such a point as what has happened smells to high heaven, from the school system on to command functions. 

Mayor Battle – I know you don’t like this kind of negative publicity – can you and Chief Reyes please review HPD’s involvement in this?

Huntsville Board of Education – this is not over, you will not be able to avoid it, just make it right.

Dr. Robinson – you said “I absolutely believe that Dr. Moore is telling the truth…If I didn’t have faith in her to that extent (telling the truth), I’d be asking for her resignation”.  At the last School Board meeting, you said you had “since learned that her comments weren’t accurate”.  Follow through with your promise.

And to the guy who accused CJ of bringing the spirit of terror into the school, read this:

Grisham took down a squad of Iraqis when his counterintelligence detachment got pinned down in an ambush.

He earned the Bronze Star with “V” after rushing through the gunfire by himself with just a 9mm pistol and a hand grenade.