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."
I would be ashamed to have this credential on my CV.
*************
You're right.
And we know he was a great teacher because this article says so?
He may or may not have been a good teacher, but the article is so obviously biased, it can't be trusted. He is presumably a left-wing political operator, since it says he founded a branch of Amnesty International at the school, and I regret to say that that organization has become strongly anti-American.
We have enough left-wing politicization in the schools. Most students are never exposed to anything else. I wonder what kind of "philosophy" he teaches? Aristotle or Marx?
Chances are, he signed a code of conduct clause with the school when he was hired. His actions on MySpace are a clear violation of this clause.
Good riddance to bad rubbish, this guy has no business teaching in any school, let alone Catholic schools.
BTW, what is a 45-year-old man doing with a site on MySpace anyway? Trolling for prospective 'converts'?
"...the Church recognizes the benefits of sexual relations between spouses whether or not any one particular act results in fecundation or not."
And does not the Church approve the use of the "rythem method" of birth control? I seem to recall the media making fun of it as a means of birth control. But the rythem method can kinda work and is probably safer than than those moth balls labeled as birth control pills.
"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."
Right you are.
From his profile,
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.
“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.”
Thank you, had to use the dictionary to understand your post. You have given me my "you learn something new everyday" thing for today.
The noun fecundation has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1: creation by the physical union of male and female gametes; of sperm and ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a plant
Synonyms: fertilization, fertilisation, impregnation
Meaning #2: making fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure
I will assume you mean number 1.
Warning flag here.
That was a sickening article, the way it was slanted.
Any time!
And yes, I meant #1!
Good. I can only imagine the crap he was filling the kids heads with.
'But he was such a good teacher' ranks right up there with 'he was always such a good boy, his mom said' and 'Hitler was nice to his friends.' // roll eyes//
"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."
Good point, the drive-by media likes to twist Church doctrine in its feeble attempts to influence public opinion regarding the Catholic Church.
I disagree. First, I was not chastising the school, merely making an observation. Strict adherence to dogma trumps education. There appeared to be information indicating that he was an excellent teacher. But I said I believe as a private organization, the school has every right to do what it did, as long as such admissions are contractual reasons for termination.
Can you not understand that firing this teacher is an excellent indication that at least some within the Church are FINALLY getting serious about weeding out the homo-influence?
Was there some evidence that he was trying to imbue his personal lifestyle into his classes? I did not see that in the article.
In my anecdote above regarding the three homo teachers I had in high school, I left out one set of facts--only one was a priest. The other two were lay teachers.
I noticed in your examples that 1 of the three had reflected no evidence of improper behavior. If you are trying to say that homosexual teachers should be fired simply because they are homosexuals rather than because of their conduct, I again say that private schools have that right if the contracts contain that power. Do any of your examples include the quality of education provided by those identified as homosexuals but with no observation of improper conduct or teaching?
As for pedophiles, I'm sure you have seen the statistics on married heterosexuals who have a thing for children. As for the scandals that have plagued the Church with respect to priests. There is ample evidence that Church officials from the local diocese to the Vatican continually covered up such conduct until civil and criminal actions could no longer contain the scandals. There clearly has been a double standard.
Why isn't the head of a very large Jesuit university subject to the same?
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.