The Army appears to be tight-lipped about what, if any, punishment was handed down to one of its chaplains after he allegedly told a Black subordinate that he would “need to tie you to a tree and beat you” if she didn’t complete a spreadsheet on time.
Military.com reported that the Army took what it called “appropriate action” against Chaplain Maj. Edward Blackledge. According to the outlet, Army Capt. Tatyana Jordan said the Army had substantiated her allegation as counterproductive leadership. Jordan previously said the remark carried racist overtones because of the documented history of white slave drivers tying enslaved Black people to trees and whipping them as a form of torture and forced submission.
Per Military.com:
Jordan told Military.com on Friday, Aug. 14, that the investigation was substantiated for counterproductive leadership, and appropriate action was taken against the individual (Blackledge) involved.
The information was relayed to Jordan in person by Maj. Gen. Daryl O. Hood, the Fort Jackson commanding general.
“The investigation is complete, appropriate action was taken, and we consider this matter closed,” Christopher Surridge, a U.S. Army spokesperson, told Military.com.
It’s unclear what specific action was taken against Blackledge. Military.com inquired but received no direct response.
When asked for comment, the Army provided MS NOW with the same statement as above: “The investigation is complete, appropriate action was taken, and we consider this matter closed.” (Jordan reportedly said Blackledge told her at the time that he was “joking.”)
For what it’s worth, Jordan’s quotes in the report make it seem as if she’s at least somewhat satisfied with how the investigation concluded — though she said that in addition to support, she also received “a lot of hate, a lot of racist messages, and it was very hurtful.”
“Speaking up was so frightening, and this process was very long,” Jordan told Military.com. “I know many times I questioned whether or not continuing was worth it, but I do want to let everyone know out there — keep going, because at the end of the day, accountability matters, leadership matters, and every service member deserves to serve in an environment where dignity, professionalism and respect are more than just in the oaths that we recite and words on paper.”
Her lawyer, Mikey Weinstein, told Military.com that the case was a “brilliant example” of fighting “tyranny” and bigotry in the military:
“We salute the intrepidity, courage, steadfastness and bravery of our client, Capt. Jordan, in never giving up and, in fact, standing up to this wretched, personal tyranny,” Weinstein said. “Her brilliant example should significantly buttress the motivation of any other military members to likewise stand up to the misogyny and white supremacy, Islamophobia, antisemitism, transphobia and homophobia of Christian nationalism, which so tragically pervades the entire U.S. military.”
So it appears there has been some kind of accountability for Blackledge, but appearances can be deceiving. And the mystery surrounding his potential punishment might be, to some, a nagging question.
Given the military’s increasing ostracism and frequent ousters of its Black talent under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — Black women, especially — and its attempted erasure of Black history, it seems rather important to know what actions may have been against a military leader who apparently invoked the history of chattel slavery with a Black subordinate.
I think it’s important to know this so that we, in the public, can all assess whether the punishment is steep enough to deter such behavior in the future — assuming, perhaps foolishly, that’s something leaders under Hegseth even want to do.
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