Submitted by Fox First at Ten on October 12th
**Press Release From Gonzaga University**
SPOKANE, Wash. – In recognition of National Coming Out Day on Thursday, Oct. 11, the Gonzaga University School of Law Outlaws, ACLU, and Armed Forces Law Club hosted a presentation by retired Maj. Margaret Witt. The speech, which was free and open to the public, started at 6 p.m. in the Law School's Barbieri Courtroom.
Witt filed a federal lawsuit after she was dismissed from the Air Force under terms of the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell" – which was repealed in 2010. Witt joined the U.S. Air Force in 1987, and transferred to the reserves in 1995. In 2004, she was suspended from duty, and in 2006 discharge procedures were initiated.
Witt turned to the courts for injunctive relief, and the case went to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2010, a district court judge ruled Witt must be reinstated, as her discharge violated her constitutional rights. While the government filed an appeal, the case was eventually settled and Witt retired with full benefits and without a discharge on her official record.
