Las Vegas Catholic school fires gay teacher over MySpace page

SHNS ^ | May 24, 2006 | Emily Richmond

[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."

[MACVSOG68]

From a biblical perspective, there's no differentiation in sexual sin. It's all perversion in God's eyes.

Is that what you actually believe? I'd keep it to myself if I were you. I can daily thank God we live in a constitutional republic rather than a theocracy.

The church should not just shrug it's shoulders at sin, period.

How about you? Do you consider being a homosexual as bad as pedophilia? Never mind what you think God feels, how do you feel about it? If you believe that, then I have just witnessed the most outrageous case of moral equivalency I have ever heard.

[DBeers]

Yes, the Catholic Church was supreme in everything. They knew through dogma demonstrated by the Bible, that the earth was central to everything, and Galileo's belief that the earth revolved around the sun was heresy and he was so convicted by the Inquistition. He was imprisoned for having such thoughts and trying to tell the world about them. Is that the kind of disregard for the Church's moral authority you are referring to? And you wonder why intelligent people question some of the Church's dogma today? Do you approve of how the Church has handled scientific inquiry such as that of Galileo?

Do you understand what Dogma is and consequently how absurd your assertion that the Church taught the Earth central to everything let alone anything?

Let's see -you can not provide anything but "feelings" couched in moral relative arguments in regards to your support of the homosexual disorder being something to be accepted and tolerated as at worst innocuous and not meriting legitimate discrimination... Now you wish to attempt to bash the Catholic Church using the same "free thinking" moral relative methodology -your hidden motive (assuming the obvious will once again be denied)?

A suggested reading assignment: The Galileo Affair

SMALL EXCERPT:

Unjust Condemnation

Galileo's condemnation was certainly unjust, but in no way impugns the infallibility of Catholic dogma. Heliocentricism was never declared a heresy by either ex cathedra pronouncement or an ecumenical council. And as the Pontifical Commission points out, the sentence of 1633 was not irreformable. Galileo's works were eventually removed from the Index and in 1822, at the behest of Pius VII, the Holy Office granted an imprimatur to the work of Canon Settele, in which Copernicanism was presented as a physical fact and no longer as an hypothesis.

You may be an "expert" on moral relatively arguing in support of the homosexualization of society; however, it would appear you are way out of your league in attempting to disparage the Church. You may want to reconsider this latest tact as well potentially fruitless?

P.S. You may be on the wrong Forum? What Free Republic is all about:

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[DBeers]

Ironically, it isn't the Christian message or Holy Scripture that's brought me round to this acceptance, but my own personal and comprehensive experience with homosexuality and others with the disorder.

Well -many eventually come to realize that universal truth is in fact universal. Among some Catholic apologetics there is a saying, "all paths lead to Rome", which in essence means that if one researches thoroughly Sacred Scripture, Christianity, the Fathers of the Church, and all that is divinely revealed etcetera [they] will conclude the Church to be His Church...

As to the truths you yourself have discovered the "hard" way -they were always available to those of faith that simply submitted their intellect and will and took the approach of faith seeking understanding rather than understanding seeking faith...

If a universal truth is a universal truth THEN it should stand alone objectively (not be moral relatively or situationally derived and hence not require such arguments to support it); additionally, [it] should apply coherently with and incorporate all other universal truths always...

The Catholic Church's approach is compassionate while being careful and sensible. The only concern that I would have would be the Church's 'trust' that a repentant homosexual can be somehow permanently 'cured'. Once an afflicted individual has enjoyed homosexual activity, then I really do feel that seed is permanent. It gives the individual an even heavier 'cross to bare' than if they hadn't done so.

Ultimately it is possible that one can be permanently 'cured' e.g. with God, all things are possible; however, as you assert this may be the exception in the exceptional case (one with deep seated tendencies) -NONETHELESS to be legitimately truthful one must allow for and proclaim the possibilty -to deny such would be error...

It's a bit like a very addictive drug. Once taken, then they are always an addict... an ex-smoker can go for years without smoking, then just one cigarette, and they can be back to a packet a day. Homosexuality is very similar.

This is why I'm coming round to the idea that it wouldn't be appropriate for any self-declared 'former' homosexual to work with boys. Primarily for the protection of the boys, but also for the sake of the homo.

Yes -you more closely described the reality that my posting did not adequately address. It all comes down to the degree of legitimate discrimination required based upon assessing correctly the state of the individual e.g. a "hard case" may never be able to be exposed to children without supervision...

[TradicalRC]

There are many secular myths regarding Galileo, who was a good Catholic, as was St. Robert Bellarmine. You can look into the Truth of the matter, if you'd like.

[TradicalRC]

Is that what you actually believe? I'd keep it to myself if I were you. I can daily thank God we live in a constitutional republic rather than a theocracy.

I'd take the Vatican over the US any day, they don't seem to have the problems with baby-killing, gay pride parades, pornography, crime, drugs and illegals that we've got here.

[machman]

His MySpace page...

_| e |= |=

About me:
US born, British-educated (Ph.D.) film scholar in love with his Jeep Wrangler, coffee and conversation, travel, swimming, shooting hoops, music, psychology, questions of philosophy, progressive politics, writing for publication, meditation, hiking, mentoring, reading, and learning. I'm intellectual but sensual; I'm traditional Ralph Lauren and Eddie Bauer in outer style but innovative and outside-of-the-box in soul. In my eyes, consideration and compassion are very sexy. I'm attracted to straight-acting, single men (if you wear a baseball cap and drive a Wrangler you're halfway there). Defying political correctness (sorry!), please no bisexuals, those with HIV, or effeminate men. Major turn-offs are those with self-defeating behaviors. I come from a loving family, have a great circle of friends, adore my job and I have all summer off. I'm the type of guy you'd feel proud introducing to your family and friends.

[MACVSOG68]

There are many secular myths regarding Galileo, who was a good Catholic, as was St. Robert Bellarmine. You can look into the Truth of the matter, if you'd like.

Actually I read this piece before. Though it tries to spin and soft peddle the truth, it still must admit that the official position of the Church was that the concept of heliocentrism was a heresy. Galileo was imprisoned for this because the Church feared the people might listen to him and question the authority of the Church. These are the charges used by the Inquisition to condemn this scientist:

1. The proposition that the sun is in the center of the world and immovable from its place is absurd, philosophically false, and formally heretical; because it is expressly contrary to Holy Scriptures.
2. The proposition that the earth is not the center of the world, nor immovable, but that it moves, and also with a diurnal action, is also absurd, philosophically false, and, theologically considered, at least erroneous in faith.

Just as today, most Catholics have questions but fear to ask them. There is almost no doubt that if the Church of the Inquistion days were in power today, Dan Brown, Sir Laurence Garder, and perhaps even Bart Ehrman would all be tried for heresy and summarily executed. Would that be right? Did the God-given rights that all human beings have, some codified in the Bill of Rights not exist through the first fifteen hundred years of the Church? Are not natural rights timeless? How does anyone justify death or imprisonment for thinking?

I don't condemn anyone for believing that the Church can do no wrong, but you must understand that information is freedom, and much of the Western world likes that freedom. Take care.

[MACVSOG68]

I'd take the Vatican over the US any day, they don't seem to have the problems with baby-killing, gay pride parades, pornography, crime, drugs and illegals that we've got here.

I certainly don't want to discourage you from leaving here. But as I tend to ask the left who can say nothing good about this Country, "Why don't you go where you'd feel more at home?"

I'd be happy to debate the history of the Vatican, both the good and the bad, if you care to.

BTW, you really didn't answer the question concerning the equivalency of homosexuality with pedophilia.

[DBeers]

BTW, you really didn't answer the question concerning the equivalency of homosexuality with pedophilia.

Actually he did e.g. they are both sinful activities as such equivalent -you just did not like the answer as it did not fit into the straw man world view you attempt to erect failingly...

Here try this -Homosexual activity is self-destructive, depraved and centered exclusively around corrupting sexual activity --in this way it is equivalent to pedophilia...

[TradicalRC]

BTW, you really didn't answer the question concerning the equivalency of homosexuality with pedophilia.

Sorry, I honestly don't have time to pursue every quesrtion or proposition. Regarding their equivalancy, I'm not sure that I understand you. They are both sexual perversions but I guess in some way consentual adult sodomy is less evil than pederasty.

[MACVSOG68]

Regarding their equivalancy, I'm not sure that I understand you. They are both sexual perversions but I guess in some way consentual adult sodomy is less evil than pederasty.

Thank you. I'm glad you do recognize the difference. But your leader does not. You guys may want to talk it over to be sure. Take care.

[Canedawg]

The less homo teachers we have in this country, the better. That said:

"Crouse said he was called into the principal's office..."

Never a good sign for the call-ee.

[TradicalRC]

Thank you. I'm glad you do recognize the difference. But your leader does not. You guys may want to talk it over to be sure. Take care.

I'm guessing that you're refering to Pope Benedict XVI. Do you have a statement he made regarding this? If so please post a link.

[MACVSOG68]

I'm guessing that you're refering to Pope Benedict XVI. Do you have a statement he made regarding this? If so please post a link.

LOL. Nah, as I'm sure you're aware, I'm referring to the forum's inquisition leader. He'll be happy to explain the correct "talking points".

[TradicalRC]

LOL. Nah, as I'm sure you're aware, I'm referring to the forum's inquisition leader. He'll be happy to explain the correct "talking points".

I have no idea what you are talking about. I suppose my last post should have made that obvious. I haven't read through this entire thread, will get to it later.

[gondramB]

>>Crouse wrote on his Web site that he was gay and looking for "straight-acting single men."

I wonder why he'd want "straight acting" but be public with his web page....

[MACVSOG68]

I have no idea what you are talking about. I suppose my last post should have made that obvious. I haven't read through this entire thread, will get to it later.

Fair enough. I tend to take folks at their word. He is the clown who runs at least one prominent ping list here and attempts to stifle any opinion but his own, and threatens any Freepers who may have other opinions. He is well supported here on certain of these threads, and my apologies for insinuating you may have been part of that gang. Take care.