Yale Law Professors Sue Rumsfeld

Forty-four faculty members of Yale Law School have won standing to proceed with their suit against U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld over the Pentagon's demand for on-campus military recruiting in spite of its prohibition on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers.  The suit arose over the Department of Defense's threats to withdraw over $300 million in federal funding if the law school didn't include military recruitment in the career development services it provides to students. Ruling that the plaintiffs have standing, Hall noted that, although the university stands to lose the funding, it is the individual faculty members who are compelled "to choose between the exercise of their constitutional rights and federal funding for themselves, Yale Law School and Yale University." [more]