A retired Air National Guard officer's federal whistle-blower lawsuit against the Mississippi Military Department and various Guard personnel goes to trial in July.

Retired Col. Joe "Jody" Bryant, Jr., a former officer in the 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field in Meridian, filed the lawsuit in 2005, saying his rights were violated under the federal Whistle-blower Protection Act. The federal act outlaws retaliation against whistle-blowers.

Bryant was the whistle-blower in what became a large-scale investigation of alleged racial bigotry, fraud and favoritism at the 186th. He claimed in his lawsuit that the investigation created animosity between himself and some of his former colleagues in the unit.

The defendants have denied the allegations and have asked U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee to dismiss the lawsuit. They claim Bryant has provided no proof of the alleged harassment or threats of job action.

Lee has not yet ruled on the motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The trial is scheduled for July 21 in federal court in Jackson.

In the original publication of this article, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the lawsuit was going to trial against the Mississippi Military Department and various Guard personnel. The Military Department was dismissed as a defendant in August 2005, according the court records.