Oral Arguments In 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Court Challenge

Boston, MA (US Newswire) -- Oral arguments in Cook v. Rumsfeld, a constitutional court challenge to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' filed by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) on December 6, 2004. Judge George A. O'Toole, Jr., will hear arguments regarding the government's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed on behalf of twelve former service members discharged under the military's gay ban. The plaintiffs are represented by SLDN and the law offices of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

The SLDN lawsuit asserts that "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' punishes gay, lesbian and bisexual service members . . . for their sexual orientation and for their private, constitutionally protected conduct. As a result, it has denied and continues to deny them several Constitutional rights, including the right of privacy, equal protection of the law, and freedom of speech."