Former University student speaks out against Navy ROTC discrimination

Last week the Class of 1988, along with thousands of other alumni from various years, gathered on campus to reminisce, celebrate and unite as University of Pennsylvania graduates. But one man who also returned to visit, said he spent the week fighting off ghosts from the past. The man -- who should have been parading with the 1988 graduates -- is Peter Laska. "While walking around Penn I have done a lot of double takes and seen many ghosts," Laska said. "So many things here remind me of ROTC and my time as a student. It has been painful." With his ten-year-old saga, Laska is putting the University's anti-discrimination policy to the test. At the age of 15, he applied to Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps because he possessed a desire to fly. Laska, the youngest of eleven children, said he did not want to burden his parents. His NROTC involvement brought Laska to the University in 1984. He said he thrived on the academic environment at the University and excelled in the NROTC program. Laska said he was even urged by a marine officer instructor to become one of the elite "marine option" midshipmen. "I really enjoyed being involved with the Navy at the beginning of my career at Penn -- but I went through a lot of changes," he said. "The intense academic environment here fueled my quest for self-knowledge." Laska began to question his sexuality after a few years, and at the end of his sophomore year admitted to himself that he was a homosexual. He said his realization brought an entire new set of challenges upon him. He explained his junior year was the most difficult because he felt "ostracized" by his peers. Laska said the harsh treatment climaxed the summer after his junior year during the Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen. Hundreds of ROTC students were gathered into a conference room for a program, and the news was being shown on television while they waited for the beginning of the presentation. Laska said that a segment about the spreading of AIDS appeared on the show. "I will always remember one of my officers loudly proclaiming 'Hurray for AIDS,'" he said. "At that moment, I felt completely appalled and alone." Throughout the next year, Laska says he was subjected to cruel and systematic harassment and intimidation -- which still affects his present life. "The military has always discriminated," he said. "And nothing has changed to stop that. The whole situation turned into a vicious cycle." At the beginning of his junior year Laska said he was a healthy individual, but by December he was treated for severe depression. He says it was a result to the Navy's harassment. In January, Laska informed the NROTC that he was leaving because of the Navy's discriminatory practices regarding homosexuals. The next five years of Laska's life were occupied with struggles with the persistent Navy. They denied receiving his letter concerning the discrimination, charged him for all of his education, making it impossible for him to finance his last year at the University. Ultimately, the balance on his bursar's bill prevented Laska from receiving his last few credits. He says the University would not help him clear the unfair debt. The military tried everything from tracking Laska to California to threatening his parents, he added. "After years I finally realized how to deal with the military -- with the public spotlight," Laska explained. "The Navy is like a bunch of cockroaches that scurry for cover the minute the lights are turned on." For the past five years, University Provost Stanley Chodorow has struggled with the ROTC about its discrimination, but finally announced in May that the program will stay on campus and continue to receive University funds. The University attempted to negotiate with the Pentagon to redefine its relationship with ROTC since Penn's anti-discrimination policy conflicts with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding homosexuals. The Navy ROTC totally refused to reform its program. "It is very disconcerting that absolutely nothing has changed with ROTC throughout all these years," Laska said. "Penn has had many opportunities to change the policy." Many others, such as Bob Schoenberg, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Center at Penn, have said that they are "deeply disappointed" by the University's decision to allow ROTC to remain on campus. Laska wants the University to adopt a policy that would require ROTC to train any qualified person, homo- or heterosexual. Then, he says, the military could choose who they wish to represent the United States. "I don't see how the military could overlook their best and brightest people," he said. "I still believe I could have made a good Naval officer." "We have undertaken to guarantee that such students [homosexuals in ROTC] will be able to continue at Penn," said the Provost in response to the University Council and various committee reports in his negotiations with the United States Defense Department. "The actions of ROTC with respect to its members for that reason and other reasons should not affect the ability of students in the program to continue in our program, and we intend to make certain that is the case." Laska and Schoenberg both commended Chodorow's attempt to look into whether the University might be able to withhold certain privileges from ROTC students and faculty without breaching its contract with the military. Associate Provost Barbara Lowery is also involved with Laska's situation. Even though she does not acknowledge that the University participated in his persecution, Lowery wrote a letter to Laska offering him support to finally finish his college degree. But the support does not include any money offers, yet. According to Laska, several other schools, such as Dartmouth, have effectively dealt with ROTC's discrimination by requiring the military to accept all qualified applicants. Laska said despite the many negative affects of his ROTC experience, he feels the experience has made him a stronger person. "The best skill that any student could acquire during their time at Penn, is the ability to question everything that you think you know," he said. "The only reason I am here today is because I did not believe the people who forced answers on me. I guess I really got a lot out of Penn."