At MSU, all students are treated equally, and each department within the university supports the diversity of its employees and students.

Right? Wrong.

Beyond any doubt, discrimination based on sexual orientation and marital status has been occurring within the Department of Residence Life.

I represent the Alliance of Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgendered and Straight Ally Students in North Complex when I say the members of Respecting Individuality on Neutral Grounds are outraged at the travesty that has occurred and the way in which Carolyn O'Laughlin has been treated ("Hall director resigns over lack of same sex benefits," SN 3/18). She has been put through so many trials and hypocritical paradoxes. We completely support her and openly protest the policies that have given her no other choice but to resign.

She has been forced to choose between her job and her partner.

Her partner living with her either does or doesn't count, depending on if she's asking for benefits, or receiving employee discipline. The list goes on and on.

How can other employees, who are instructed on how to respect diversity, continue their work when their own authorities clearly do not have that same respect?

How can they believe that diversity is valued within the MSU community, when it is not valued within its employees?

RING condemns the policies that have forced O'Laughlin out of a job, left North Complex without an assistant hall director and reflected blatant discrimination that is against MSU's anti-discrimination policy.

We demand this policy be changed immediately and that same-sex domestic partners receive the benefits they deserve.

Erik Green
RING president