Fired Loretto teacher files complaints(Katelyn Sills update)

Sacramento Bee ^ | 11/4/05 | Todd Milbourn

[Roberts]

A former Loretto High School drama teacher alleged Thursday that her firing last month for having volunteered at a Planned Parenthood clinic was a case of sexual and religious discrimination and violated her free-speech rights. Marie Bain, 50, of Sacramento, filed two separate employment complaints Thursday with the state against Loretto, the religious order that sponsors the school, the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and Bishop William K. Weigand.

[Roberts]

Continuing: One complaint - with the state Department of Labor - calls for an investigation of the employment practices of the diocese. The other - with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing - is a first step toward a lawsuit.

"Loretto rightly prides itself as an academic institution committed to vigorous debate of ideas and beliefs," said Bain's attorney, John M. Poswall of Sacramento. "Unfortunately, the action of the bishop, cowering to noisy fundamentalists, threatens to turn Loretto into a Taliban-style institution of thought control and repression."

James Sweeney, an attorney for the diocese, who had not yet seen the complaints, said he's confident the diocese handled the case appropriately.

"It's purely an internal matter of church discipline and is protected by the First Amendment," he said.

Weigand called for Bain's firing in early October in response to demands from an anti-abortion activist and mother of a Loretto student.

Weigand argued that Bain's previous volunteer work presented an irreconcilable conflict with church teachings and set a poor example for students at the all-girls school.

Poswall stated in the complaint that Bain's firing constituted sexual discrimination because it targeted "her beliefs and actions related to women's reproductive rights" and sought to make "an example of her as a woman, to other young women."

School officials knew Bain was not a Catholic and had her "own personal beliefs" when they hired her in August, Poswall stated.

Punishing her for having supported opposing values in the past is tantamount to religious discrimination, Poswall said.

Regarding the free speech claim, Poswall argued that Bain's volunteering was akin to a "political activity," which is a protected class of speech and a "fundamental right of all California employees."

[Roberts]

This woman needs to be buried by the legal system that she hypocritically tries to use to her advantage.

[sockmonkey]

Catholic Ping!

[Ohioan from Florida]

I am not surprised. Bain should be ashamed of herself, but of course, isn't.

[NYer]

School officials knew Bain was not a Catholic and had her "own personal beliefs" when they hired her in August, Poswall stated.

Bishop Weigand also notes that "persons who engage in activities fundamentally opposed to the teachings and beliefs of our Faith are disqualified from collaborating in the educational apostolate of the Church as principals, teachers, teacher's aides, or catechists. To this end, any person who has actively and publicly advocated or participated in activities contrary to the Gospel of Life, such as supporting or promoting abortion, lacks the threshold qualifications essential to minister to our young people in the Catholic educational apostolate."
Sacramento Bishop: No Place in Catholic Schools for Abortion Supporters

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[FormerNavyBrat]

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but any thoughts as to whether or not this was a deliberate action on Bain's part?
Or, is it a sad commentary that someone thought that despite her very public "pro-choice" views & activities, that a Catholic school was a place to find employment.

[RKBA Democrat]

This was predictable. A very telling quote from the article: "School officials knew Bain was not a Catholic and had her 'own personal beliefs' when they hired her in August."

Which leads to a couple of questions: (1) why was she hired if it was known that her personal beliefs were in stark conflict with Catholic teachings? (2) was she hired specifically because of those beliefs?

Unfortunately, since this is the PRC, I suspect the Diocese will end up paying out to make this go away. In my view, that will be money well spent. Money even better spent would be to have the diocese take over the school and send the sisters to their much deserved retirement in Mahoneyland. Unfortunately, that probably won't happen absent intervention by Rome. The sisters know that absent their opening an abortion clinic on school grounds, the chances of Rome intervening are minimal.

An interesting object lesson in all this. Seems to be bearing out my hypothesis that what our apostates within the church are really interested in is the material wealth of the church. Something to think about when the next appeal for a big, pretty Cathedral or church or school comes up.

Granaries always seem to attract rats.

[Desdemona]

Which leads to a couple of questions: (1) why was she hired if it was known that her personal beliefs were in stark conflict with Catholic teachings?

There's a lot of Catholic high schools around that do that, basically because good Catholics aren't going into teaching. Good Catholic teachers just aren't always available.

[dsc]

Surely there must be a lot of pro-life Protestants and Jews.

[RKBA Democrat]

"There's a lot of Catholic high schools around that do that, basically because good Catholics aren't going into teaching. Good Catholic teachers just aren't always available."

So we'd prefer to have "Catholic" schools that teach in opposition to the faith? Seems to me that we'd be better off without them.

[sinkspur]

This is a nuisance lawsuit. California is a right-to-work state, which means that any employer can fire any employee for any reason, or no reason.

[djrakowski]

"So we'd prefer to have "Catholic" schools that teach in opposition to the faith? Seems to me that we'd be better off without them. "

Exactly the reason we're homeschooling.

Seriously, does this woman think she has a right to teach in a Catholic school? I wonder where they're going to find that one in the Constitution?

[narses]

+

[workerbee]

"Loretto rightly prides itself as an academic institution committed to vigorous debate of ideas and beliefs," said Bain's attorney, John M. Poswall of Sacramento. "Unfortunately, the action of the bishop, cowering to noisy fundamentalists, threatens to turn Loretto into a Taliban-style institution of thought control and repression."

Fortunately her attorney isn't using any over-the-top hyperbole to sway public opinion.

(/sarc)

[Psycho_Bunny]

I'm curious how this is different from firing employees who smoke in their own homes, on their own time.

[ninenot]

Bain's firing was perfectly legal and no, I don't think it was a "setup." Bain did not expect that someone would see her activity at PP during the summer and connect her with the school.

At the same time, there's no doubt in my mind that the Feminazi nuns of Loretto are hoping that the Diocese loses the suit...

There IS a 'setup' running in Oregon (?) where a lesbian couple applied for their child's admission to school. The school turned them down.

Lawsuit will follow.

[BlackElk]

This is different from firing employees who smoke in their own homes on their own time in that Ms. Bain deserved to be fired (at the very least) by any employer much less an allegedly "Catholic" girls' high school for participating as a deathscort at an abortion mill in facilitating the slicing, dicing and hamburgerization of innocent unborn babies. If she had been photographed facilitating the slicing, dicing and hamburgerization of, say, her husband or wife as the case may be or that pesky next-door neighbor, she would deserve at least to be fired as well. Whatever the SCOTUS may say while fantasizing about non-existent constitutional provisions and "rights," Bain is active in facilitating homicide and not fit to set foot on a Catholic girls' school campus. Consider her firing as her only true "teaching moment."

Now, let Bishop Wiegand fire those nuns who hired her in the first place not only as executives at the school but also laicize their rebellious backsides. Another "teaching" moment. Use the full weight of Canonical Law to strip them of the property, excommunicate them and hire actual Catholics (what a concept!!!) to run the place. Liberal parents who object can, at the very least, be required to find a new school for sniffly ill-educated daughters just OUTRAGED!!!!! at the unfairness of terminating the employment of the homocidal and of maintaining a Catholic Church that behaves as it believes (lex agendi, lex credendi???)

People who smoke cigarettes (as, thank God, I no longer do) in their own homes and on their own time kill no one but themselves whatever junk "scientists" may fantasize.

THAT'S the difference.

Several centuries ago, we had a system that was better. Ashes, however impudent, filed no complaints. In some sense, the guilty would have smoked, but they would not have filed any post-execution complaints.

Fr. Tomas, pray for us and for the restoration of Christendom, our civilization!

[Tax-chick]

Excellent post, BlackElk. Active verbs, vigorous adjectives, and vivid imagery!

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

School officials knew Bain was not a Catholic and had her "own personal beliefs" when they hired her in August, Poswall stated.

A teacher at a CATHOLIC school is caught working for a high-profile abortion provider. Did she actually reveal this to students at the school? Is she also a member of any anti-Catholic secret societies?

Since the church considers abortion the unlawful, immoral, and gravely sinful taking of human life (i.e., murder/homicide)basic common sense would dictate that a Catholic school MAY NOT employ someone engaged in or associated with the murder of unborn infants as part of their public work. It's an act of charity to fire her. To allow her to continue in her teaching position would place the church, the nuns, the school, the students and their Catholic families in the position of enabling someone in her pursuit of serious crime and grave sin. No Catholic educational institution which intends to continue to be regarded as "Catholic" can employ abortionists on its faculty. Would you want your daughter taught by a teacher who assists in the murder of unborn children???

There's a BIG "duh" factor to this story. The teacher is obviously a lunatic and a wacko liberal extremist working through post-abortion issues. Sad case.