VolU Instructor Causes Furor

By ANN Staff

In a stunning development, SM Gary D. Bishop, an elderly instructor for VolU, is under official scrutiny for unprofessional behavior.

Volunteer University (VolU), the Patrol’s online learning platform, was launched at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. It has established itself as a facility where older instructors struggle with technology and delivering worthwhile instruction.

The incident occurred during an evening class on Branding and Trademarks, where students who arrived five minutes late were stunned to see that the instructor was completely nude. A review of a recording of the class and interviews with the attendees revealed Bishop had spent the first five minutes of the class peeling off his uniform while discussing the use of CAP’s trademark and branding.

Bishop immediately took to social media to defend his actions, saying in a post, “Looks like I made someone angry tonight and I really don’t care. I taught a Level 3 Public Affairs and Branding module and at 8:05 pm EASTERN, 5 minutes after the class was to have begin [sic] I was nude. Three people showed up after I started stripping and I did not have time to explain the context. […] If you show up late for a class, don’t assume that I will have clothes on. End of rant.”

In an exclusive statement to ANN, Bishop explained, “I just wanted to show them that the CAP tattoo I got on my bum 40 years ago was illegal now, and that if I wasn’t grandfathered, I could be sued.”

Some Patrol officials were quick to condemn Bishop’s actions.

“We like to let instructors teach in a way that works for themselves and the students,” said Lt Col Kate Shane, the VolU’s director. “But there has to be a limit. We can’t tolerate this flagrant disrespect for the students.”

The incident caused a furor on social media, with many defending the instructor’s choice.

Moira Bennessy, a highly-placed VolU organizer who is brand new to the Patrol, gave moral support to Bishop, who was one of her instructors. “SM Bishop is a long-time member of CAP, and he knows the proper, old school way of instructing and enforcing standards. His professionalism is beyond reproach. If he thought that was the right way to run his class, then who are we to question him?” she said in a comment on Bishop’s post.

“I understand that we need to be on time,” said another commenter. “But we’re all Volunteers, and I did not volunteer for this.”