Gulf War Resister May Lose Teaching Job

A former Air Force Reserve lieutenant who was dishonorably discharged for refusing to serve in Operation Desert Storm said he may also lose his job teaching fifth-graders.

John M. Dickinson said he received a letter from the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing saying he was under investigation for moral turpitude related to his refusal to serve in the Persian Gulf.

“My dictionary says that moral turpitude is depravity, baseness, vileness,” he said. “What I did was refuse to serve in a war. How can they call that immoral?”

Nanette Rufo, coordinator for the state commission, said privacy rules prevented her from discussing Dickinson’s case. But she said his felony conviction for being absent without leave and his dishonorable discharge could be considered moral turpitude.

“When we learn of a conviction of a felony, the facts are reviewed and it is the commission’s task to decide if, given the facts, there would be any adverse impact on the person’s ability to be an effective and appropriate teacher,” she said.

Dickinson returned to teaching after serving six months in a military jail.

“Everyone in the school knew about it, but their attitude was, ‘Welcome back. Here’s your classroom. Let’s get to it,’ ” Dickinson said Friday.

He has until April 1 to respond to the letter, and the commission must decide his case within six months. Dickinson could be sent a letter of admonition, have his license suspended or have it permanently revoked.

Dickinson’s case received wide publicity when London-based Amnesty International listed him as a prisoner of conscience, saying he was jailed because of his beliefs.