In the fall of 2009, Grant Ladniak—a college student at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich.—was sitting down to eat with a group of friends at the school's cafeteria. It was there that he said he became a target for the first time in his life.
Born and raised in Darien, Ill., Ladniak is the middle child of three brothers and divorced parents and the only gay member of both his immediate and extended families. "It's slightly alienating," he admitted. "I was born into a very Catholic family, so that made things a bit of a challenge for me."
Ladniak was at Ferris State hoping the school would help nurture his love of tinkering with cars into a future career. However, beginning with one meal in the cafeteria, Ladniak said that the challenges the school instead offered were completely unexpected.
"We were all eating and talking and somewhere it became apparent I was gay," Ladniak said."One of the kids promptly stood up and left. He went up to my RA ( resident assistant ) and said "I can't believe you would sit there and eat with a fucking faggot!"
Ladniak was shocked but said he let the incident slide. However, he soon discovered that the attacking student lived in the same dormitory and on the same floor. "Most of us in the dorms had whiteboards outside our doors to leave people messages and whatnot," Ladniak said. "Gay slurs began to appear on my whiteboard as well as spitting every now and again. I tried to ignore it at first but my friends took notice of it."
Ladniak informed his RA, who he said was supportive and took the compliant to the building manager. The RA was reportedly told that, without a witness, nothing would be done.
The incidents continued, according to Ladniak. "To make things worse, that same kid was hired to run the front desk of the dorm," Ladniak remembered. "Finally, my roommate got so pissed off, that he stormed downstairs and laid into this kid about it. He flat out denied it of course."
Ladniak said he once again complained to the building manager. "He stated there was nothing he could do about it," Ladniak said. "Worse yet, he believed my roommate should apologize for calling this kid out on it. That enraged me beyond belief."
Ladniak eventually transferred to Roosevelt University in Chicago, and said the school has dramatically improved his quality of life. "After I moved back into the city limits of Chicago, I wondered why I ever left," he said with a smile. "The open-mindedness here, the mentality of faculty and students; they approach the subject in a warm and kind fashion. Most of the classes I'm in discuss LGBTQ rights. "
Ladniak has changed his educational direction from mechanics to gender studies and racism at Roosevelt's School of Psychology. He said that it is not just smarts that is causing him to ace each of the 21 credit hours he is taking: "It's because I'm passionate about what I am learning. It's taken me years to find but I am grateful to have found it here."
Windy City Times reached out to Ferris State University about Ladniak's experiences there as a student. News Services and Social Media Manager Sandy Gholston said he could not comment on the case, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( FERPA ).
However, he responded with a written statement. "Ferris State University values a strong and nurturing community in which students and employees conduct themselves with dignity and respect relative to fellow employees, students and others," the statement read. "As a University, Ferris is deeply concerned when any member of its community has concerns that this has not been the case. Harassment of any kind is unacceptable behavior in an ethical community.
"The University does not condone or allow harassment, and strives to strengthen a diverse and inclusive community that is free of hostility and intimidation directed at individuals. Because of the University's strong commitment to its core values, complaints of harassment and intimidation are taken very seriously and fully investigated. The welfare of our students is of paramount importance. The University desires that all of its students have a positive and rewarding experience, academically and socially, at Ferris State University."
In looking back at his days at Ferris, Ladniak tried to remain pragmatic. "Some of my professors there were outstanding," he said. "But the administration was beyond a joke and the amount of childishness and unprofessionalism I experienced was far from university standing."
Outside of his classes at Roosevelt and a healthy relationship with his partner, Ladniak currently volunteers for the Chicago Women's AIDS Project ( CWAP ) and runs every year in the Chicago AIDS Run and Walk. He also is involved with Roosevelt's LGBTQ network: RU Proud. "There's a lot of kids here I know who came from backgrounds who didn't have any social support," he said. "So it's a great opportunity for them to experience that."
Roosevelt University describes itself as a "catalyst for social change." According to Assistant Dean for Enrollment and Student Services Patrick Zylka, part of that catalyst involves providing LGBTQ students with a safe environment in which to celebrate their identities rather than hide from them. "Really from the get go of Roosevelt University being a beacon of social justice, it's long been the mission to educate anyone who academically qualifies to be here," he said. "College is an interesting time. We want to establish a place where you can let your wings spread and figure out who you are and what you want to be."
As an alleged victim of it at Ferris State University, Ladniak said he believes that one of the greatest causes of bullying of LGBTQ children is a lack of education. "What enrages is me is when I hear the opposing side's argument that it's the LGBTQ community's fault for indoctrinating kids," he said. "The irony is that the opposite is true. I point my finger at organized religion a lot. It's used as a weapon of prejudice and judgment. It's really hard to reason with people like that. It's only when people start actively speaking out and fighting against it that it will stop. "
Ladniak said he promises to be one of those people after he graduates in the fall.
