A three-day counterterrorism seminar conducted by a controversial ex-FBI agent will begin as scheduled in Culpeper County today, even though a key agency has pulled its accreditation.
Mike Harvey, who heads the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy in Fredericksburg, advised Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins late Monday afternoon that no in-service credit would be given to the officers who take John Guandolo’s classes.
“After careful consideration and consultation with other law enforcement agencies and academies having firsthand knowledge of this training, the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy will no longer be offering Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services in-service training credit for the upcoming seminar ‘Understanding and Investigating Jihadi Networks in America,’” Harvey wrote in an email to the Council on American–Islamic Relations.
CAIR last week called on Jenkins to cancel the seminar, calling Guandolo a “notorious anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist.” The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremist groups, echoed the call, noting that Guandolo has claimed that CIA Director John Brennan is a secret Muslim agent.
That academy’s decision to pull its accreditation, which Harvey told Jenkins was one he made personally, came as Corey Saylor of the D.C.-based CAIR and Dr. Nabeel Babar, director of the Islamic Center of Culpeper, were presenting a pre-seminar educational program to deputies who signed up for Guandolo’s classes.
Saylor spoke on popular myths about Islam and assured those present that the Muslim faith “was not a religion of violence.”
Babar provided an introduction to Islam and compared it to Christianity during the 90-minute session, which included an informal discussion period.
Jenkins said the presentation was productive and worthwhile and that another similar but more formal educational program may be held after Guandolo’s seminar.
It was also announced Monday that Guandolo will hold a free two-hour public seminar from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday night at the Daniel Technology Center on Germanna Community College’s Culpeper campus, where this week’s seminar will take place.
Jenkins said he hopes the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy will reimburse his office for expenses incurred in putting on Guandolo’s seminar, especially since the academy initially sanctioned the classes.
Jenkins said that the majority of emails he has received since controversy erupted last week over the seminars have been in favor of the seminars. He said some Christian ministers have advised him that they will picket in favor of the event, which is scheduled to begin at 8 this morning.
He said that he had not been told of any Muslim protests that are planned.
Germanna campus police, the Virginia State Police and the Sheriff’s Office have put security measures in place, Jenkins said.