Posted on 01/17/2015 5:32:45 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
Charlotte Catholic High School in Charlotte, N.C., recently informed one of its substitute teachers that he could not work at the school following the public announcement of his impending same-sex marriage, according to Catholic News Herald. The school’s decision is yet another instance of Catholic schools around the country taking measures to protect and ensure their Catholic identity.
The teacher, Lonnie Billard, worked for 11 years at Charlotte Catholic High School as a dramatics teacher until his retirement in 2012. He was reportedly scheduled to begin substituting in January.
But when officials at the high school learned of Billard’s public same-sex marriage announcement, he was promptly informed that he had violated the morality clause in the diocese’s official personnel conduct policy and would not be able to substitute at the school due to his opposition to Church teaching, reported the Herald.
Diocese of Charlotte spokesman David Hains was quoted by the Herald in a January 9 statement, explaining that “[p]eople who work for the Diocese of Charlotte agree that they will not oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
“We cannot and will not employ a substitute teacher who opposes Church teaching,” Hains reportedly said.
“All employees of the diocese agree upon their employment to follow the diocese’s ethics policy and a personnel policy that requires them to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church,” the Herald reported.
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend recently faced a lawsuit filed by a former school teacher who was similarly terminated for opposing Church teaching; in that case through her usage of in vitro fertilization procedures. The diocese lost in court and was ordered to pay the teacher nearly $2 million for alleged emotional and physical damages, though it has since been decreased to $543,803.
Recently, Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami reminded employees of the archdiocese, including Catholic educators, that adherence to Catholic teaching was paramount to their continued employment. Many dioceses across the country—including Oakland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Honolulu,and Santa Rosa—have announced more explicit morality clauses in their teacher contracts to ensure the Catholic identity of their respective schools.
Catholic Education Daily is an online publication of The Cardinal Newman Society. Click here for email updates and free online membership with The Cardinal Newman Society. - See more at: http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/tabid/102/ArticleID/3882/Charlotte-Diocese-School-Dismisses-Employee-after-Same-Sex-Marriage-Announced.aspx#sthash.HX52v7Fi.dpuf
It seems clear-cut. They'll still be dragged through the courts and the media, more than likely.
Glad to see the Charlotte Bishop is showing some backbone. North Carolinans ought to give him some public high-fives.
Bishop Peter J. Jugis
Diocese of Charlotte
Pastoral Center
1123 South Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
Phone: (704)370-6299
Fax: (704)370-3378
Web Address: www.charlottediocese.org
E-mail: chancery@charlottediocese.org
GOOD for the school!!! a GAY DRAMATICS teacher.....DUH!!!!
Thumbs up!
Was the engagement announcement was it
FABOULUS LOL!
No probs. He/she/it can probably transfer to the Diocese of New York.
Good.
How many days til the apology?
And reversal ?
It should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
A week at the most. People are such wimps.
Why’s the school lows the lawsuit, since the teacher signed an agreement?
Correction: Why’d the school lose the lawsuit, since....
yeah, fire em all before the raping starts
The bigger question here is, “Why should this be news?”
Because the judge elevated personal opinion over simple contract law. They do this on the basis that the contract is immoral, which is a long-time element in contract law.
A murder-for-hire contract, for example, is not enforceable in court, nor are damages available for non-performance. This ruling says that an agreement to abide by Catholic moral guidelines is morally the same as an agreement to commit murder.
It will be alleged that it is not legal for a contract to include provisions which discriminate against homosexuals.
I don’t think Jugis is going to cave.
And in any case, our role in this is supposed to be prayer and support for Christ’s pastors, not preemptive contempt.
True. We live in a sin-sponsoring society.
Oh just setting myself up for disappointment
Lang time cath school teacher. Parents kids teachers admin. Caving all the time
In fact I think a ton of society’s probs are due to the lack of adherence to the precepts of the church
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