Hill, Monica

Former Captain, U.S. Air Force (1994-2002)

Monica Hill joined the United States Air Force on December 21, 1994, having won an Air Force scholarship to medical school.

For her residency, Dr. Hill worked at a civilian hospital in Columbus, Ohio. While there, she lived with her partner of fourteen years, Terri Cason, who was a nurse at the hospital.

In the summer of 2001, Dr. Hill was scheduled to report to Andrews Air Force Base for her permanent active duty assignment. Dr. Hill arranged for an apartment in Northern Virginia, not far from the base, and made arrangements to have her possessions moved on July 18, 2001.

Cason's health deteriorated dramatically in July of 2001. In two weeks, Cason went from working at the hospital to being unable even to do household chores. Cason's doctors first thought she had an infectious disease, and treated her with antibiotics. On July 14, 2001, Cason's doctors changed their diagnosis. Cason had lung cancer, with additional metastatic brain lesions. That diagnosis meant that Cason had between two months and two years to live.

Desperate to remain with her dying partner, and feeling it was irresponsible to move her partner from her treating physician, Dr. Hill decided to seek permission to delay reporting to Andrews Air Force Base by explaining the situation, revealing the nature of her relationship with Cason, and requesting a two-year deferment on July 22, 2001. In response, the Air Force canceled Dr. Hill's orders to report to Andrews Air Force Base.

Cason died on September 11, 2001.

Several months after her orders were cancelled, the Air Force informed Dr. Hill that discharge proceedings were pending against her based on her statement in her request for deferment that she was a lesbian. The Air Force began an investigation into Dr. Hill's sexual orientation. During the investigation, the investigating officer suggested in hostile and accusatory tones that Dr. Hill had invented the story of Cason's illness, and that Dr. Hill had admitted her sexual orientation solely to escape going on active duty. Dr. Hill was required to provide Cason's death certificate as proof that she had not invented the story. Additionally, the investigating officer repeatedly asked Dr. Hill about her sexual orientation and for details of her sexual history.

The investigation concluded that Dr. Hill had made a "homosexual admission" requiring discharge under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and that she had made the statement for the purpose of being separated from the military. The Air Force began discharge proceedings. Dr. Hill decided to resign from the Air Force because she felt it was impossible to fight the process and that discharge was inevitable under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Dr. Hill was honorably discharged on October 2, 2002.

Following her discharge, the Air Force began recoupment proceedings against Dr. Hill, purportedly seeking to recover the cost of her medical education.