ANNOUNCEMENT: Gallaudet University’s Academic Collapse Reflects a Larger Crisis. While Gallaudet eliminates core academic programs and students in crisis go ignored, administrators remain untouched—earning government-funded salaries backed by the very payroll taxes deducted from your check.
Gallaudet University—our nation’s only federally chartered university for deaf and hard of hearing students—has now eliminated its math and history majors, core foundations of higher education. This comes despite receiving over $167 million annually in federal funding, to serve fewer than 1,300 students.
As a federally chartered institution, Gallaudet University is shielded from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). That means no public right to know, no transparency—and no accountability. They take public funds. But they don’t have to answer to the public.
A recent forensic audit revealed:
Administrative salaries rose 107%, totaling an $11.3 million increase
Faculty salaries dropped by 6%, a $4.8 million decrease
$30–40 million a year spent on consultants, not students
These numbers are disturbing—but they’re not surprising to those of us who know the deeper failures.
I lost my son Gio to suicide while he was a student at Gallaudet. He was clearly in mental health crisis, and he asked for help. Multiple times. He told campus personnel, “I don’t feel safe.” He went to housing. The Department of Public Safety. His RA. He was ignored—and worse. Instead of medical intervention, Gio was criminalized, handcuffed, and thrown into a DC jail cell with no legal charges. A student in crisis was treated like a threat. Forty-eight hours later, he took his life.
This wasn't just a failure. It was a system. And it is still in place.
To this day, Gallaudet continues to follow the same institutional protocols that contributed to Gio’s death. And when tragedies like this happen, Gallaudet quietly settles lawsuits—including wrongful death claims—behind closed doors.
Because of its federal charter, Gallaudet is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). That means it can operate without public transparency. Families can’t request internal records. The public can’t see how decisions are made. There is no sunlight—only silence.
That has to change.
The GIO INITIATIVE calls for:
Mandatory mental health protocols on college campuses
Public accountability for federally funded universities
Legislation with Title IX strength and Clery Act enforcement
If your family has been harmed—or your child’s voice ignored—at Gallaudet or any other campus, you are not alone. And you are not powerless.
Take Action
Contact the U.S. Department of Education
Office of Postsecondary Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20202
Email: ope@ed.gov
Write your congressional representative.
Support the Gio Initiative
Help us end institutional negligence. Demand change.
https://robertmanganelli.com
Together, we can hold our universities accountable—and save lives.
#GioInitiative #JusticeForGio #CampusAccountability #MentalHealthMatters #EndInstitutionalSilence #HoldGallaudetAccountable