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Air Force criticized for planned speech by Chick-fil-A vice president

The new East Ridge Chick-fil-A, pictured above, will open Thursday morning at 639 Camp Jordan Parkway. The 5,000-sq. ft. restaurant will employ 90 full and part-time employees and will give away free meals for a year to the first 100 participants who show up to a special "First 100 Road Trip" tour Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. The new East Ridge Chick-fil-A, pictured above, will open Thursday morning at 639 Camp Jordan Parkway. The 5,000-sq. ft. restaurant will employ 90 full and part-time employees and will give away free meals for a year to the first 100 participants who show up to a special "First 100 Road Trip" tour Wednesday morning at 6 a.m.

By Staff and wire reports February 13, 2019 3 min read

A group that advocates for religious liberty in the military says the U.S. Air Force Academy should cancel a planned speech by a Chick-fil-A executive.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said Wednesday the company has a history of supporting anti-gay causes and that Rodney Bullard, a Chick-fil-A vice president and academy graduate, shouldn’t speak at the school’s upcoming leadership conference.

Bullard said the company and its charitable foundation don’t fund anti-gay programs. He says Chick-fil-A’s foundation funds programs to help children in poverty, including groups that work with LGBTQ youth.

Chick-fil-A has faced accusations that it is anti-gay since 2012 when its president, Dan Cathy, publicly opposed gay marriage. The company has said Cathy’s statements are his personal views.

The academy said it invited speakers with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, and conference participants choose which talks to attend.