There have been some strange doings at Gallaudet. One year the students learned that their new president, though he knew sign language, was not deaf. There were mass protests that could be seen but barely heard as the protesting students furiously signed their outrage accompanied by sobs, moans, & facial histrionics. The administration caved and nominated a deaf-correct president.
I work at a community college with a big sign language program. I thus work with more deaf people than Joe average.
I have to say, they really are a strange lot. They have an insular community and really don’t have much use for outsiders. They are also extremely entitled. They simply have an awful attitude out of the box. When you work with a new deaf person, they start with a massive chip on their shoulder, and expect to be able to get away with anything. Some eventually come around, but I don’t find the education enjoyable.
There are some odd things about their educational experience that aren’t common knowledge. For example ASL and English are not the same thing by any means. They work completely differently. Deaf people are taught in ASL and English is a second language and to be blunt, doesn’t seem to be considered of much importance. Professional deaf people that I have worked with are almost illiterate in English. Grammar, spelling, and syntax are all extremely shabby.
I imagine the students at Gallaudet didn’t want an outsider because they might get exposed to real world standards.