Patricia Jannuzzi
Posted on 04/11/2015 4:20:36 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
A teacher suspended from a Catholic school for using Facebook to defend traditional marriage has been reinstated.
Almost one month ago, Patricia Jannuzzi was suspended from Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey, after she made what became controversial comments about same-sex relationships. Over the next several weeks, she was told that the suspension was effectively a release from her job, as she would not be rehired for the 2016 school year.
Jannuzzi was also told that she had lost her pay and benefits for the current school year.
The scandal was compounded by the fact that the Diocese of Metuchen and Bishop Paul Bootkoski were involved in Jannuzzi’s suspension and publicly defended it.
In a media release provided by the Diocese of Metuchen to LifeSiteNews, however, Immaculata Director Monsignor Seamus Brennan announced on Friday that Jannuzzi would get her job back.
"Immaculata High School announced today that all issues related to the employment of teacher Patricia Jannuzzi are resolved," said the release. According to Brennan, "Immaculata High School has reached an understanding with Patricia Jannuzzi. It is the School’s position that a Catholic school teacher must always communicate the faith in a way that is positive and never hurtful. Tone and choice of words matter and I trust Mrs. Jannuzzi’s stated promise to strive always to teach in a spirit of truth and charity."
"Given Mrs. Jannuzzi’s otherwise good reputation as an educator over her 30 years at Immaculata, Principal Jean Kline and I have made the decision to reinstate her as a teacher as of today."
"From the beginning this was a personnel and not a theological issue," said the statement. "We are now and always have been united in our understanding and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church. By agreement with all parties involved, there will be no further comment on the issue.”
Since the controversy first arose several weeks ago, there has been a great deal of confusion as to where Jannuzzi stood with the diocese. Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski first said that the theology teacher was on paid leave, but e-mails showed that Jannuzzi had been effectively fired, as the school was intending to not rehire her in the fall.
Jannuzzi, who received praise even from some critics for the quality of her teaching and her relationship with students, ran into trouble when she posted a number of comments against same-sex "marriage" on her personal Facebook page, which the diocese mandated she close down.
“One minute they argue hey [sic] are born this way and it is not a choice to get 14th amendment rights equal protection” – which was intended for “unchangeable characteristics such as race and disability,” she wrote. Then, “they will argue everyone should be able to choose” to engage in the homosexual lifestyle.
Same-sex relationships and its agenda threaten to “reengineer Western civ[ilization] into a slow extinction," wrote Jannuzzi.
“We need healthy families with a mother and a father for the sake of the children and humanity,” she concluded.
Jannuzzi, Brennan, and Immaculata's principal did not immediately return LifeSiteNews' request for comment, though the letter indicates that the parties have agreed not to comment further. A spokesperson for the diocese said the media release would be its only public comment on the reinstatement.
While at least two celebrities -- including a former student of Jannuzzi's -- called for her firing, orthodox Catholics stood behind the teacher. A petition launched jointly by LifeSiteNews and the Lepanto Institute received more than 5,000 signatures, and the family raised approximately $33,000 in an online petition that was later halted.
Princeton Professor Robert George, who had raised the alarm about Jannuzzi’s suspension, thanked the school in a comment on his Facebook page.
“Sometimes---not often enough, but sometimes---justice is done and things come out right,” he said. “This was one of those times. I am grateful to Immaculata High School and Bishop Paul Bootkoski for doing the right thing. I suspect that Susan Sarandon and the ‘Real Housewives’ guy are feeling a bit less friendly towards them, which, to me, is something to be proud of."
I have a friend who went to a Catholic seminary for a few months. He said that almost all of the students were homosexual, and that the few heterosexual students were ostracized.
What would her suspension have been had she used FACEBOOK to argue in favor of same sex marriage? Nothing, of course.
Suspended for political beliefs. It’s come to that.
I don't think there was corporate money involved in this case. That leaves me with the hunch it was #2.
The Bishop acted like a partly deflated helium balloon in the wind. When the Big Gay Publicity Machine insisted he fire the teacher, he wobbled off in that direction. When The Lepanto Institute an activist group of faithful Catholics, started running radio ads challenging the Bishop, he wobbled off in the other direction.
I can think of better uses for protoplasm.
Erk
Bad publicity from the LGBT crowd probably scared the bishop into submission. He may have been afraid of losing money from private donations for the school.
I hesitate to speculate on the notion of sexual disorder. In my news media days stories of sexual misconduct involving all denominations and strains of Christianity and Judaism crossed the wire service machines.
To single out one denomination like the RC Church for blame isn’t right when I consider the Good Book I read saying in essence “all are sinners”.
I figure the Book tells all people need to keep their own thinking about sex in order so bad actions won’t follow the thoughts. Don’t get all caught up in other people’s sexual conduct.
Did a little research on Bootkoski. He is part of the gay mafia of the New Jersey Dioceses.
Mentioned in the following lawsuit:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/07_08/2007_08_17_Abbott_PriestContinues.htm
Matthew 7:
15”Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16”You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17”So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.…
It appears that there are too many leaders of the church that, for the fleeting favor of men, have convinced themselves that grapes can come from thorn bushes and figs from thistles.
Which team does the bishop play for? (Although he shouldn’t be actively playing for either team). Might have been fun to depose him about his personal life and dig through personnel records.
Nations and societies are similar to people with regard to adulthood and maturity and I'll be happier when our country figures itself out and gets beyond this experimentation phase.
Unfortunately, people can rationalize ANYTHING, good or bad, and frequently have to hit the bottom hard (no double entendre intended) before their attitude is adjusted back to the reality channel and away from their passion/fantasy/addiction/desire/whatever of the moment.
As such, people often rationalize away and ignore all of the negative feedback their actions generate, which then virtually guarantees an escalation in severity of the eventual consequences, as well as the negative feedback on the way there.
To all things a season and I wonder how much time is left on our cosmic clock for US to figure ourselves out before the hammer falls.
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