United States Navy dog handler hazing scandal
In an incident Rocha describes as "dehumanizing", he was forced to simulate oral sex on another male sailor while being video taped, supposedly as part of a training exercise.
[5] In February 2011, the Navy Administrative Board determined that Rocha's accusations were exaggerated and that Toussaint was never questioned or given the chance to testify in his own defense.
In addition to Rocha's treatment, the report also documented among other incidents: In October 2006, Toussaint was transferred out of the unit and Valdivia was placed in charge.
On January 11, 2007, she was relieved of duty and placed on "administrative legal hold", meaning she could not transfer, go on leave or exit the Navy.
[7] Following the investigation, which was completed in June 2007, Toussaint not only was not punished for his role in the hazing, he was promoted to Chief Master-At-Arms and assigned to work with elite Navy SEALS at the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck in Virginia.
[4] In September 2007, Master-at Arms 2nd Class Shaun Hogan, who had been assigned to the MWD unit, gave copies of the Navy report to Youth Radio, a student internship program based in Oakland, California.
In response, Mabus ordered Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead to re-examine the original investigation.
[9] On October 21, the Navy announced that Toussaint would be reassigned to Naval Special Warfare Group 2 in Norfolk, Virginia where he would have no command responsibilities.
[12] Rear Admiral David Mercer, commander of Navy Region Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia, which oversees the Bahrain base where the incidents occurred, calls the actions of the unit an "anomaly.
Galloway, former commander of the Bahrain base at the time of the incidents in question, was scolded for not acting quickly and firmly to verify the nature of the alleged behavior and ensure that prohibitions against hazing were enforced.
After two days of testimony and 30 minutes of deliberation, the panel unanimously recommended that Toussaint be retired as a senior chief petty officer.
[13] The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a legal support and advocacy group for current and former LGBT military personnel, contacted Secretary Mabus with its concerns over this outcome, stating that it sends the message that as long as LGBT people are subject to separation under "don't ask, don't tell" they can be abused by those above them in the chain of command with little regard for consequences.
[6] Juan Garcia, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, decided to allow Toussaint to retire at his current rank of senior chief petty officer.
Said Garcia, "Toussaint's conduct as the Leading Chief Petty Officer assigned to the Military Working Dog Division, Naval Security Forces, Bahrain, did not meet the standards expected of senior enlisted leadership in our Navy.
LGBT advocates had been dissatisfied with what they perceive as a lack of action within the Obama administration on a series of LGBT issues, including DADT repeal, passage of the Employment Non-discrimination Act which would make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal, repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which prevented the federal government from legally recognizing same-sex marriages and the administration's defense of DOMA in a case before the Supreme Court.
[5] On July 15, 2010, Rocha testified about his experiences in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, a federal lawsuit which sought to strike down DADT.
