AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLO. -- The Air Force Academy has reversed course and released the results of a survey on what cadets think about religious tolerance, sexual harassment and other aspects of their lives as students.

The results, made public Friday, show mixed results in key areas.

The academy superintendent, Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, initially declined to make the results public, saying the were a "commander's tool" best used internally.

Several groups, including The Associated Press, filed Freedom of Information Act requests for the data, and Colorado Republican congressman Mike Coffman pressed Gould to go public.

Gould says he underestimated the interest in the survey and said, "I learned a lesson."

The survey shows a 20 percent increase in 2009 among cadets who feel there is a low tolerance for those who do not follow a religion. However, the percentage has gone down in the nine year period the academy has done the study.

Also down is the percentage of cadets who have felt pressure to attend religious activities and those who feel religious tolerance is a problem.

However, more than 40 percent of cadets experienced unwanted religious proselytizing in the past year, and about 45 percent said they experienced unwanted pressure to engage in religious discussion.

There is also a decline in the percentage of cadets who feel the climate fosters religious freedom. However, cadets feel they have religious freedom more than the enlisted or civilian staff.

In reference to sexual harassment results, there is a decrease in the percentage of cadets who feel women get preferential treatment in sexual harassment cases. Men reported feeling women get preference more than women reported it.

Fewer cadets reported experiencing sexual coercion, sexist behaviors, crude/offensive behaviors and unwanted sexual attention than in 2006 when the survey was last done. Women reported experiencing these behaviors far more often than men.

In terms of personal safety, 12 percent of female cadets fear for their safety because of their gender. Other than that category, the percentage of cadets and permanent party AFA personnel who feat for their safety is relatively small.

The survey also shows gender is the primary reason for discrimination and/or harassment.

View the complete survey results here 

The Associated Press contributed to this report