Deaf university roiled by same-sex marriage controversy

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gallaudet University is under fire from both proponents and opponents of gay marriage after placing an administrator on leave for signing a petition to put Maryland's gay-marriage law on the ballot.

 

Yet on the stately Northeast Washington campus, there's also genuine concern that Angela McCaskill has alienated a large portion of the student body and may not be suited to continue as chief diversity officer.

 

Gallaudet is the nation's leading university for the deaf and hard of hearing, and is home to a prominent contingent of gay and lesbian students who feel embraced by their peers, professors and administrators.

 

Many students were shocked and disappointed to learn that McCaskill signed the petition, which was distributed by gay-marriage opponents. She has said she she's not anti-gay but that voters should decide the issue.