From Fox News: "A student who received a full-ride ROTC scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill may now owe the Army nearly $80,000 for the money it put toward her tuition and books after coming out as a lesbian.
Sara Isaacson was notified in March that she was being discharged for violating “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” after informing the head of the university’s ROTC program of her sexual orientation in a formal memo, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
Along with the notice was a recommendation that she repay the $79,265.14 the government spent on her education, the paper reported."
Whether you agree with the rule don't ask, don't tell or not, this is not about the law. Isaacson knew about the rule. She took the money for college and then when it is probably close to her graduation and mandated military service, she comes out as a lesbian. And she did this on purpose. Further in the article: "Lt. Col. Monte Yoder, head of the university's Army ROTC program, said Ms. Isaacson would never have had to talk about her sexual orientation at all.
"I was very clear with Miss Isaacson about that," he told the Chronicle. "I told her I won't ask."" http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/15/college-student-owe-rotc-coming-lesbian/?test=latestnews
Isaacson did not have to come out, but she did. The head of the ROTC practically begged her not to come out openly.
Again, even if you are for the law or against, it is clear that Isaacson should have to pay back the money she got for college because she was dishonest. She probably also took the place of a potential ROTC student thereby denying him or her a chance for a full ride scholarship. In my opinion, she stole that money.
I find Isaacson's quote to be highly ironic: "I didn't feel like I could be a good officer if I didn't have integrity," she told the Chronicle of Higher Education. But apparently she didn't have the integrity to accept the ROTC's full ride scholarship.
Yes, she should have to pay back every cent.
ReplyDelete