Posted on 05/25/2006 6:25:18 AM PDT by NYer
LAS VEGAS -- As a Bishop Gorman High School teacher for six years, Jeff Crouse relished imparting knowledge to young minds.
With his doctorate in film and television studies from the University of Warwick in England, Crouse handpicked cream-of-the-crop seniors to take his college-level classes in philosophy and film studies.
He was active outside the classroom, too _ challenging students through a Philosophy Society Club and heading the school's chapter of Amnesty International.
A former seminarian, Crouse, 45, said he appreciated the Catholic culture at Bishop Gorman because of the freedom it allowed him to develop his classes and to teach from a religious perspective.
But he discovered Bishop Gorman's absolute intolerance on some matters when he promoted himself on the popular Web site MySpace.com, where he detailed his taste in music, movies _ and men.
It somehow came to the attention of school administrators. Within a week, he was fired.
Crouse said he was called into the principal's office May 12 and told he was being terminated, per his contract, for "maintaining, by word or action, a position contrary to the ordinary teaching of the Catholic Church."
According to Crouse, when he asked what the infraction was, officials showed him material from his MySpace page, but wouldn't elaborate.
Las Vegas Diocese and school officials declined to comment on Crouse's case, citing personnel confidentiality.
Crouse would not discuss whether he regretted posting his personal profile on the Web site, or whether he plans to fight his termination.
He has found himself in the same lot as other Catholic teachers across the country who have been fired for espousing beliefs or acting contrary to church teachings.
Violating church doctrine is grounds for immediate dismissal, according to a contract all Bishop Gorman teachers sign.
Crouse wrote on his Web site that he was gay and looking for "straight-acting single men." The church teaches that same-sex relations are a sin.
The Catholic Church expects teachers to serve as role models for students and to know, act and teach in accordance with church doctrine, said Richard A. Facciolo, chancellor and superintendent of schools for the Las Vegas Diocese.
At school, Crouse did not discuss his sexual orientation and did not mention the Web site, students said.
"He's a really good teacher, very creative," said a student who asked not to be identified. "He really tries to get the kids into learning. He should have every right to do what he wants as long as he doesn't bring it into the school, which he didn't."
But Catholic educators disagree.
"The ideal is to kind of practice what we preach," said Leonard DeFiore, an education professor at Catholic University and past president of the National Catholic Education Association. "Parents entrust their children to Catholic schools with the understanding that they are going to get teachers and a curriculum that reflects that Catholic faith."
There are various examples of Catholic teachers being fired for violating church doctrine.
A Milwaukee teacher is appealing her 2004 firing for getting pregnant through in vitro fertilization. In April, a football coach at a Massachusetts school was fired for getting his girlfriend pregnant. In November, a young Brooklyn, N.Y., teacher was fired for getting pregnant out of wedlock. And in October, a Sacramento, Calif., teacher was fired after officials learned she had previously volunteered at an abortion clinic.
In earlier cases, teachers have been fired for espousing pro-choice beliefs and for getting remarried without having the previous marriage annulled.
The church teaches that sexual acts are reserved for marriage, for purposes of procreation. Anything else is considered a sin, including premarital sex, homosexual acts, using birth control or artificial means of getting pregnant.
Nonreligious employers are legally prohibited from discriminating on the basis of religion or sexual orientation, but religious organizations can hire and fire on the basis of their religious beliefs. That allows them to put restrictions on employees, including their sexual orientation, said Lee Rowland, a public advocate for the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Bishop Gorman may consider that a bona fide part of the job is to be straight, which we believe is unfortunate," Rowland said. Crouse's pages on the MySpace site contain no mention of Gorman. He identifies himself as a 45-year-old Catholic single man who "adore(s) my job and I have all summer off."
Walt Rulffes, superintendent of the Clark County School District, wouldn't speculate how the incident would have been handled if the teacher involved was a public school employee.
However, Rulffes said, "All individuals in positions of trust who work with children must be held to the highest standards."
. . . this guy ought to be fired just for being too stupid to breathe.
lol
*************
What religious perspective?! Not to mention that he's clearly been a bad influence on at least some of the students.
Kids tend to like teachers who are outside the box (so to speak). Just because a student says someone is a good teacher doesn't mean they are. It means they like them or their class. So....who cares what a student says about it anyway.
susie
When he publishes it on the internet, he is bringing it into the school.
What you do in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. What you do in MySpace, doesn't.
Well, as a private school, I believe they have the right to insist on whatever rules they want. I don't see how he has any cause that would ultimately win for him in EEOC or in court. It does demonstrate that education is secondary to strict adherance to dogma. Now if only they had taken that same stance with their priests over the years. At least these "violations" of contract do not injure others for life.
LOL, good one.
"He was active outside the classroom" So that's what they call it now.
Personally I think he should be fired for being in Amnesty International.
With his doctorate in film and television studies from the University of Warwick in England, Crouse handpicked cream-of-the-crop seniors to take his college-level classes in philosophy and film studies.
He was active outside the classroom, too _ challenging students through a Philosophy Society Club and heading the school's chapter of Amnesty International.
A former seminarian, Crouse, 45, said he appreciated the Catholic culture at Bishop Gorman because of the freedom it allowed him to develop his classes and to teach from a religious perspective.
But ...
The reporter chose to start the story with the above, but he could just as easily have started it like this:
The Catholic Church has had a long-standing policy of not hiring homosexuals, and anyone seeking employment with the church must sign a contract that includes a morals clause that states that they will adhere to the teachings of the church.
There have been many public incidents of church employees being fired for not practicing what the church preaches, so one has to wonder why a Bishop Gorman teacher "outed" himself as a homosexual on a popular and controversial website....
But he didn't.
Not quite...
I believe that the Church recognizes the benefits of sexual relations between spouses whether or not any one particular act results in fecundation or not.
Minor point, but I've seen this sort of thing too many times to simply let it slide.
Agreed. My first thought is how many boys were raped, fondled, molested, sodomized? This is part of the "lifestyle" that is rarely mentioned by the old media.
That should have been the first clue.
You know what really ticks me off. This type of article and situation always makes the private organizations look like intolerable idiots. When will people get it that when you agree to be part of a private school, club, etc. you agree to their rules. You break them it is you that has the problem not the school! Unless you are a founder of said organization the rules are not up for negotiation! You agreed and then you betrayed your agreement. Where is the outrage on somebody going back on their word? We will sue a company at the drop of a hat for not fulfilling an agreement but let something like this happen and we should all just live in bliss and tolerance and the heck to any real standards. Then there is such surprise and shock that these schools actually have the guts to enforce what they said. They actually take a stand. Just crawls all over me! Okay, I am calming down now!
His dismissal was proper from a Protestant perspective as well. On this issue the Lord General of Ireland, Oliver Cromwell and the ArchBishop of Fermo, Giovanni Battista Rinuccini would both agree.
The teacher was a loser anyway for supporting AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. It is a Leftist outfit that supports guilty terrorists and ignores brave anti-communists.
I have zero sympathy for this teacher, especially given that he was brazen enough to advertise his active homosexuality. Catholic schools don't stick their noses into peoples' private lives, but they have to act when presented with proof that a teacher is openly living in conflict with Church teachings. As for that teacher who was fired for remarrying without an annulment, I'm sure her school would have been relieved is she'd told them she was getting married in a private ceremony and not discussing details with anyone affiliated with the school. How much you want to bet that the dingbat teacher talked to her students about getting married in a non-Catholic ceremony and even invited people from the school? So many people are children, demanding attention and approbation for everything they do.
"Crouse handpicked cream-of-the-crop seniors to take his college-level classes in philosophy and film studies."
It's now about time for the police to have some interviews with his former male students...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.