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Broken Code was a Gazette investigation into athlete misconduct at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the Air Force's failure to hold coaches and other leaders accountable for the acts of their players. It also examined the systems and the culture that led to widespread misconduct at a school where cadets pledge to live by a strict honor code. The stories showed a raucous culture on teams, especially the football squad, with sexual assault, academic misconduct, drug use and binge drinking. The Air Force had punished players but kept the pattern of misconduct tightly under wraps while taking no actions against leaders. The reporting later revealed a backdoor that lets star athletes into military academies despite serious academic deficiencies that would see them denied admission otherwise.