Dr. Angela McCaskill, chief diversity
officer at Gallaudet University, has been placed on administrative
leave after the school learned that she signed a petition to repeal
Maryland's gay marriage law.
According to several reports, McCaskill
was put on leave Wednesday.
The blog Planet
DeafQueer reported on Monday that McCaskill had signed at her
church the petition which successfully put the law up to a popular
vote on November 6.
“I want to inform the community that
I have placed Dr. Angela McCaskill on paid administrative leave
effective immediately,” Gallaudet University President T. Alan
Hurwitz said in a statement. “It recently came to my attention
that Dr. McCaskill has participated in a legislative initiative that
some feel is inappropriate for an individual serving as Chief
Diversity Officer; however, other individuals feel differently.”
“I will use the extended time while
she is on administrative leave to determine the appropriate next
steps taking into consideration the duties of this position at the
university. In the meantime an interim Chief Diversity Officer will
be announced in the near future.”
Catherine Murphy, a spokeswoman for
Gallaudet, told Buzzfeed
that the university does not have “a policy against political
participation.”