A Black feminine U.S. Army captain and Adjutant Normal (AG) officer claims that her supervisor, a chaplain superior, made a comment final yr that concerned having her “tied to a tree,” with official documentation of the alleged incident exhibiting totally different sides of the story.
Tatyana Jordan, 30, of Columbia, S.C., spoke with Army.com about remarks allegedly made in direction of her whereas at work final yr at Fort Jackson. She got here to the Chaplain Faculty in January 2025 as energetic responsibility and served as a pressure administration officer.
In response to Jordan, on Aug. 13, 2025, her supervisor, Chaplain Maj. Edward Blackledge, instructed a spiritual affairs noncommissioned officer (NCO) to patch a gap within the workplace all of them shared. The NCO was affected by an damage to his arm or hand that made the venture tough for days on finish.
As a result of being unable to execute the duty and reduce into the drywall, Jordan volunteered to do it as an alternative and stated she would nonetheless full her TRADOC (U.S. Army Coaching and Doctrine Command) evaluation for later that very same afternoon.
That was when Blackledge allegedly stated the next to her: “It’s essential concentrate on getting that spreadsheet completed earlier than the assembly or I will must tie you to a tree and beat you.”
“That is one thing I’ll always remember,” Jordan informed Army.com. “This was not stated in isolation. It was stated by a senior chief, in uniform, in knowledgeable Army atmosphere. As a Black lady, that assertion carried a weight far past the phrases themselves. It evoked a deeply painful and violent historical past on this nation: lynching, racial terror, and the dehumanization of people that appear like me.”
The affect was fast. I used to be shocked, humiliated and deeply disturbed that somebody I believed I might belief and prayed over my daughter within the hospital would say one thing so egregious.
Jordan stated that about one month after beginning within the Chaplain Faculty, her daughter’s lungs collapsed throughout a medical process, resulting in her being transferred to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). There, Blackledge prayed over her and Jordan acknowledged “an excellent working relationship” at that juncture.
Army.com reached out for touch upon the allegations to each the Army and Workplace of the Secretary of Protection (OSD), the latter of which deferred touch upon the matter to the Army—which by no means responded to the inquiry.
“He then checked out me and stated, ‘Oh, you recognize, I used to be joking, proper?’ And I, nonetheless in shock, am wanting, like, who the hell jokes like that? I used to be disgusted, simply completely disgusted,” Jordan stated.
Actions Following the Incident
Jordan stated following the purported incident she went to see a feminine civilian human sources consultant in her workplace.
“I used to be in tears,” Jordan stated. “I simply keep in mind not even with the ability to talk why I used to be crying, as a result of I used to be simply so overwhelmed. However as soon as I calmed down and let her know what occurred, she was disgusted. At that time, it was simply me strolling via the ideas in my head, like, did this really occur?”
She stated the purported incident occurred round lunchtime, so Blackledge had left after which returned with meals. He ate within the workplace, in line with Jordan, who stated “he by no means does.” He was “making an attempt to pressure dialog, however clearly I am not wanting to speak.”
She accomplished her task at round 1350 hours that afternoon.
“[Blackledge] was like, ‘Hey, earlier than you permit, are you OK?’ And I am identical to taking a look at him, like, it did not register in your thoughts that you simply simply stated one thing that was fully wild and uncalled for?” she stated. “I do know you recognize it, however you are OK with it.
“I did not say that out loud, however clearly I am considering that in my head. I simply walked off and I went to my automobile. I ended up calling my husband, and my husband was furious. He was able to go to the police station as a result of he made me understand, he simply threatened to hurt you.”
Investigative Measures
Jordan’s husband informed her to do one thing in regards to the alleged incident, so she delved into sources and totally different choices.
The following day she reported the incident to Army Police (MP) to make sure there was official documentation and to guard her security and that of her household which incorporates three youngsters, a 4-year previous and a 2-year-old set of twins. She additionally filed an Equal Alternative (EO) criticism, which started processing it.
Regardless of the assertion, she stated MP characterised the incident as a “unhealthy joke.” She additionally known as the Inspector Normal’s Workplace, however “IG wished nothing to do with it.”
After I filed the criticism, it was like my life was ruined. I am not being dramatic, it was actually that unhealthy. I used to be reduce out of all communication that I wanted to do my job as a result of that is my supervisor that I filed a criticism in opposition to.
She then came upon that somewhat than provoke an EO investigation, the one hundred and sixty fifth Brigade commander determined to provoke a 15-6—an Army fact-finding mission carried out by an appointed investigating officer (IO) to find any misconduct or improprieties.
Duties of an IO, in line with the Army itself, embody gathering and sifting via all proof, being thorough and neutral whereas doing so. They’re additionally tasked with making findings and suggestions warranted by the details, and to report such findings and suggestions to the appointing authority.
Statements Present Disparities
Jordan submitted a sworn assertion to the IO in early September, as did Blackledge and the NCO who was within the room that August day, in line with a replica of the investigative report obtained by Army.com.
In Blackledge’s sworn assertion, he stated he “by no means made racial jokes” or feedback about any coworker within the U.S. Army or Institute for Non secular Management.
He clarified that he made jokes about “punching within the face” or “humorous statements corresponding to, ‘Who do I must kick within the face to get this completed?’” He asserted that it was all the time meant in a lighthearted or comical solution to scale back stress and improve laughter, somewhat than completed in an offended or threatening method.
He acknowledged making statements routinely round workers, including, “Now we have had many laughs throughout our workers syncs following such absurd statements.”
The distinction within the recounting of occasions and sworn statements by each Jordan and Blackledge is expounded to the “tree” comment.
“I don’t recall making the assertion, ‘I must tie you to a tree and beat you,’” Blackledge stated in his assertion. “I’m not denying that I stated it, however I don’t recall making that assertion. I do recall telling CPT Jordan, in jest, that I must punch her within the face if she didn’t full a selected venture on time. I’ll have made the alleged assertion throughout the identical dialog.”
Blackledge added: I do recall that my ‘punch within the face’ remark assertion didn’t obtain the playful response I had anticipated. I recall an uneasy silence.
That “awkward silence” as he described purportedly prompted him within the second shortly thereafter to make clear that he “was solely joking” and that he would by no means “damage” Jordan or the NCO.
In his sworn assertion, the NCO stated he wasn’t within the room throughout Blackledge’s alleged feedback. He did, nonetheless, say that Jordan requested him if he heard the remarks in regards to the tree, to which he replied he hadn’t.
The NCO added that he didn’t suppose such a comment was “intentional” on Blackledge’s behalf, including, “[He] gave the impression to be very comfy with myself and Capt. Jordan and used unhealthy ‘darkish’ jokes round us.”
Change of Surroundings
Weeks later, Jordan came upon that the 15-6 end result got here again as “unfounded.” She additionally claimed that the brigade commander by no means knowledgeable her of the outcomes after they had been finalized.
“To at the present time, I’ve not been supplied an in depth rationalization of how this conclusion was reached. … Had the HHC (Headquarters and Headquarters Firm) commander [of the USA IRL] within the U.S. Army not known as me and informed me over the cellphone that it was unfounded, I would not have recognized,” Jordan stated.
Jordan additionally stated that throughout the investigation, she was moved to a G3 OIC (Officer in Cost) function because of the friction between her and Blackledge. She alleged that after she took on the brand new function, the chief of workers wrote a memorandum permitting communication between her and Blackledge within the midst of a no-contact order.
“I believed that was insane,” she stated. “I used to be genuinely afraid to take a seat in the identical room as this man.”
Issues turned worse, in line with Jordan, with incendiary remarks in direction of her as a result of her perception that others in her neighborhood had been aware about what occurred between her and Blackledge, and the investigation.
“It obtained to some extent the place I used to be like, I am unable to work right here anymore,” she stated. “I used to be afraid to return simply due to aggressive phrases, threats. … I used to be not protected, and I am unable to perform in an atmosphere once I’m not protected. So, I requested to be reassigned.”
She obtained her want and has been working reception at Fort Jackson since February.
The ‘Hill I am Keen to Die On’
Jordan was requested why she’s deciding to come back out publicly about this now, roughly eight months after the alleged incident.
“I’m coming ahead as a result of that is greater than me,” she stated. “That is about management, accountability, and the type of atmosphere we’re permitting to exist inside our ranks. Troopers deserve higher. Leaders should be held to the next normal.”
Late final yr, following the findings relayed throughout the 15-6, Jordan surveyed her choices. It led to her reaching out for steerage to the Army Non secular Freedom Basis (MRFF), which represents in extra of 100,000 army personnel.
“After exhausting inner channels and being left with out significant recourse, I reached out to MRFF as a result of I felt fully helpless,” she stated. “MRFF advocates for the constitutional rights of scores of hundreds of service members and supplies help to these dealing with spiritual harassment, abuse of authority, and management misconduct. That is precisely what my household and I wanted.”
MRFF President and founder Mikey Weinstein informed Army.com that the Fort Jackson Chaplain Faculty has all the time been a “scorching spot” for most of these complaints, saying Jordan’s “hardly the primary chaplain” or non-chaplain enlisted or civilian personnel from there to hunt help from the group.
Jordan wished “to present the Army an opportunity” and let the investigation unfold earlier than going to the media or via different avenues, he stated.
“You do not inform a subordinate wherever, notably within the U.S. army, that you will tie them to a tree and beat them,” Weinstein stated. “However least of all, a Black lady in a army set up in a ruby pink state like South Carolina as a result of that occurred loads there in historical past.”
Jordan commissioned through Army ROTC at Virginia State College in Could 2018 and has since has been stationed in Hawaii, along with being a platoon chief for primary coaching—the latter of which she known as “essentially the most rewarding task of all.”
At present, she stated she’s keen to threat her complete army profession to go public with what she alleges occurred at Fort Jackson. She stated she’s obtained help from army colleagues.
“That is the hill that I am keen to die on,” Jordan stated. “There may be nothing OK about threats of violence, racial violence within the army or wherever on the planet for that matter. We will not permit the sort of atmosphere to exist within the Army. It isn’t OK, our troopers deserve higher.”
“It’s greater than me and coming ahead with it will hopefully empower troopers who’ve skilled related circumstances to talk up,” she added.
