Posted on 08/29/2003 1:08:25 PM PDT by bicycle thug
A lesbian couple has complained to the Eugene Human Rights Commission and the Oregon Child Care Division, alleging that O'Hara Catholic School refused admission to their 4-year-old daughter because of their sexual orientation.
One of the women, Lee Inkmann, said O'Hara Principal Dianne Bert told her in mid-August that having a family with two mothers at the school would confuse other children, and that gay unions are in conflict with Vatican teachings.
Bert declined to comment, as did a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Portland. O'Hara issued a statement that said the school does not discriminate on the basis of "race, color, national and ethnic origin" in admissions, but "cannot comment on decisions of academic placement for any specific student."
The Rev. Mark Bachmeier of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the parish priest who oversees O'Hara, also refused to discuss the matter.
"I think we'll just let that statement speak for itself for now," he said.
Inkmann, a 43-year-old business owner, said she has attended and paid dues at St. Mary's since January after a long absence from the church.
"I feel called to respond to my parish and the local parish school because of my developed Catholicism," she said. "I want my daughter to receive a Catholic education that will be in keeping with her teachings at home, and I want to become part of a Catholic community again like I was when I was a child."
The Human Rights Commission assigned an advocate, Neil Van Steenbergen, to the case, with the hope of ironing things out between the two parties.
But O'Hara officials did not wish to meet with him, Inkmann said. On Wednesday, she said, Bachmeier told her the final answer was no.
Steenbergen said neither he nor the Human Rights Commission can provide legal advice.
"My role as an advocate is not to do the work for the person involved but to listen and explore options and help that person come to some resolution," he said.
The city's ordinance prohibits discrimination in housing, employment, city contracting and public accommodation on the basis of a list of characteristics, including actual or perceived sexual orientation.
Inkmann said she isn't sure she wants to send her daughter to O'Hara now, but wants to ensure other families have the right to do so.
She asked that her daughter not be named because she fears possible reprisals for her stand. Her partner also declined comment.
Whether a private school falls under the mantle of "public accommodation" is open to interpretation, but Dave Fidanque, executive director of the Oregon American Civil Liberties Union, says it should.
A Catholic school, he said, "is essentially a business that provides service to the public at large."
"For instance, Catholic Charities doesn't only provide services to Catholics, it provides services to people who are needy," Fidanque said.
"We could argue that the church cannot discriminate in either its employment or acceptance of students."
Fidanque said the school also might be vulnerable under state law that prohibits discrimination by state-certified, extended-day preschools on the basis of the parents' marital status. Inkmann has complained to the state Department of Employment's Child Care Division, which is awaiting an opinion from the state Attorney General's Office on whether the school may be out of compliance.
But Fidanque said he hopes O'Hara will reconsider.
"What they're about is providing a quality education for all children that come to them," he said.
"I'm confident there are students from all types of families at O'Hara school, and this would not be any big deal for other kids and families."
That's true for Shan and Mikayle Anderson, whose daughter will start preschool at O'Hara next week. Their girl and Inkmann's daughter attended preschool together at the YMCA. The Andersons sent an e-mail to the school supporting Inkmann's family.
"As a concerned parent, I didn't think it was appropriate policy," Shan Anderson said. "I don't think a kid should be ostracized because of the perceived failings of their parents, whether it's sexual orientation or marriage or fidelity or past criminal behavior. The Catholic religion I was brought up in was about forgiveness and acceptance."
In a check of admissions policies elsewhere, several other private Catholic schools in the Portland area did not return calls or referred questions to the Archdiocese of Portland.
Maurice Healy, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, said no formal policy exists in his region regarding admissions of children with gay parents. He's never heard of any similar conflicts arising, he said.
"I imagine there are children in the schools with homosexual parents," he said.
Anselmo Villanueva, who was principal at O'Hara from 2000 through 2002, said his personal philosophy is one of inclusiveness.
"My thing on sexual orientation is that's not for me to decide if it's right or wrong," said Villanueva, now principal at Adams and Hillside elementaries in Eugene. "My thing in education is to teach all kids."
But homosexuality is anything but an easy topic for the Catholic church, he said.
"The church is really wrestling with this stuff now," he said.
Trust me, this translates into a reaction at seeing the difference between tuition for Catholic and non-Catholic students, probably in the neighborhood of one to three grand per year. Plus many parishes subsidize the Catholic student rate for regular mass attendees. Suddenly it pays to start going to church again.
See my post #21. And when I say regular attendee, they count your attendence with the offering envelopes.
"queer" is now an acceptable term since they made the TV show Queer Guy for the Straight Guy.
Ah, but liberal Left Coast judges can make their own rules for the entire nation to be subjected to.
What they are trying to lay the foundation for, IMHO, is to have ALL schools subject to discrimination laws, just as other public accomodation like hotels, restaurants, etc. McDonald's and Motel 6 (or privately-owned businesses like Joe's Eats and Apu's Sleep-Lodge) can't refuse to serve a person based on the color of their skin. This is merely expandng the infection of federal rule over our private choices of personal association. I'd give them 1-in-3 odds of winning in the state courts (and with 3 levels to appeal to...), and 1-in-4 odds at the federal level. The lower court's decision will be critical, so the gay lobby has probably shopped around carefully for the "correct" district.
Eugene, Oregon has a much larger than average population of lesbians. They vastly outnumber that of gay men. There is also a Mariarchial group of feminists who scare the poop out of some people, and have others going after them with a vengence.
If you are male, talk too loud and macho, or piss them off; they put their cross hairs onto you. I have a friend in danger of being evicted from his office because he made an off hand crack one of them became enraged by. The spirit of the Salem Witch Trials is very much alive with that group of 'wymen.'
bingo!
Isn't it amazing how people can change their mind about issues when their pocketbooks are affected.
I really pity the children of these liaisons.
What part of the word Catholic don't they understand?
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.