Ex-West Point cadet from North Texas sues Dept. of Defense

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — Former West Point cadet Charles Chesnutt Jr. is filing suit against the U.S. Department of Defense for what he says is an unconstitutional demand of $114,000 to repay his educational costs.

Chesnutt's career as a military officer was terminated in his third year because he failed a running test. (West Point cadets are required to be able to run a certain speed. He ran the distance, but not at the required speed.) He was honorably discharged in 2001.

In 2006, he received a demand from the Department of Defense that he repay the approximately $114K in costs for his three-year education at West Point.

The Army decided he'd failed his running test on purpose. He provided a medical report showing an impairment in his knees. But the Army conducted an investigation without letting him offer testimony or present evidence. Chesnutt's lawsuit says that the Army denied him of his rights when they assigned an untrained infantry officer to find the facts.

Posted by T.G.