Patricia Jannuzzi
Posted on 04/12/2015 2:21:26 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
SOMERVILLE — Patricia Jannuzzi, the veteran Immaculata High School School teacher suspended for her anti-gay Facebook posts, will be reinstated immediately, school principal Jean Kline said in a letter dated Friday. Jannuzzi, a 33-year theology teacher at Immaculata, was forced by Immaculata to deactivate her Facebook page after several alumni started circulating screen shots of her sharply worded posts against gay marriage and gay rights. Two days later, the school placed her on administrative leave.
The letter to students and parents, quoting school director Msgr. Seamus Brennan states in part:
Immaculata High School has reached an understanding with Mrs. Patricia Jannuzzi. It is the School's position that a Catholic school teacher must always communicate the faith in a way that is positive and never hurtful. Tone and choice of words matter and I trust Mrs. Jannuzzi's stated promise to strive always to teach in a spirit of truth and charity.Given Mrs. Jannuzzi's otherwise good reputation as an educator over her 30 years at Immaculata, Principal Jean Kline and I have made the decision to reinstate her as a teacher as of today. From the beginning this was a personnel and not a theological issue. We are now and always have been united in our understanding and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church. By agreement with all parties involved, there will be no further comment on the issue.
The letter goes on to say that teachers have been told that if the issue comes up in the classroom, students will be told "this was a personnel issue and not one about theology" and there should be no further discussion about it. Kline encouraged parents to tell students the same thing if the issue comes up at home. Kline further wrote that she hopes the decision and this letter quiets the attention that Jannuzzi's Facebook comments have generated.
The announcement puts an end to weeks of negotiations between lawyers representing the Diocese of Metuchen, the entity that oversees Immaculata, and Jannuzzi's attorney, David Oakley.
"I am delighted with the understanding we reached with the school and I admire them for making a careful decision -- and I couldn't be happier," Oakley told NJ Advance Media.
Jannuzzi was ordered by the school on March 11 to deactivate her Facebook page after alumnus began spreading word of an online petition demanding the school acknowledge her outspoken comments on gay marriage and gay rights.
In one post, Jannuzzi had said she'd love to move to Nebraska, responding to a news story about efforts to fight against same-sex marriage there, asking, "Why can't the rest of the US be like this?? Why the insanity?" Another post, referencing an article about three lesbians living as married in Massachusetts, asked "Between this and many Egyptian men being beheaded ... when will the evil stop?"
She also suggested in another post sexual orientation was a matter of choice and not an inborn trait, dismissing as "bologna" the idea that gays are entitled to 14th Amendment protections. In the same post, she also said gay activists want to cause the "extinction" of Western civilization.
The petition, titled "Stop Public Hate Speech of Teachers," was started by an alumnus and picked up steam after several celebrities called attention to it, including "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member Greg Bennett, who graduated from Immaculata in 2004 and had Jannuzzi as a teacher. Susan Sarandon, whose nephew Scott Lyons is openly gay and also had Jannuzzi as a teacher, shared an open letter to Jannuzzi written by Lyons on Facebook.
Jannuzzi was placed on administrative leave two days later, on March 13.
The announcement prompted Jannuzzi's two children — who said they were told their mother would no longer receive her salary and benefits — to create an online fundraiser to help benefit the family.
The page, posted on youcaring.org, raised $33,000 of its $100,000 goal from 384 donors. The fundraiser is no longer active — and Oakley said on the site Friday that the money raised will be returned.
But, according to a statement released by the diocese, Jannuzzi was never taken off the payroll. The fundraiser was updated following Immaculata's response to say Jannuzzi was still getting paid, but would not be rehired after her contract ends in August 2015. The diocese then, again, released another statement, this time directly addressing the legitimacy of the information on fundraising page.
"In keeping with diocesan school policy, decisions for all teaching positions for the 2015-2016 academic year are made later in the spring," the statement said. "We are baffled and disappointed that there has been a website soliciting funds that is filled with misinformation."
But on March 12, the day before Immaculata announced Jannuzzi's suspension, Principal Jean Kline said in an email to Jannuzzi that she would no longer get her salary and benefits.
"After further reflection and upon receiving the advice of the Advisory Council, Msgr Brennan and I have decided to place you on administrative leave without pay effective immediately," the email states.
Oakley said he was later told in a phone conversation with diocesan lawyers that she would be terminated at the end of her contract. "At every point in our discussions the diocesan lawyers told us repeatedly there was no way that Patricia Jannuzzi would ever come back to the Immaculata classroom under any possible scenario," he said.
I appreciate that this news story points out that the Diocese of Metuchen initially lied about all of this to the public. And:
Oakley [Jannuzzi's lawyer] said he was later told in a phone conversation with diocesan lawyers that she would be terminated at the end of her contract.
“At every point in our discussions the diocesan lawyers told us repeatedly there was no way that Patricia Jannuzzi would ever come back to the Immaculata classroom under any possible scenario,” he said.
Sez Dreher,
"Ha! We will never know what went on behind the scenes to force the diocese to do an about-face without Jannuzzi even having to apologize, but I bet there’s a great story there. I do hope, though, that she continues to teach actual Catholicism, but that she does so without being so shrill. That said, this is a surprising outcome. One is not used to the orthodox side in these disputes winning."
One reason why Jannuzzi won was because faithful Catholics around the country --- including FReepers--- swung into action. Lots of e-mails were sent, lots of phone calls made to the Immaculata principal, pastor, and Bishiop Bootkowski; it got picked up by Catholic talk radio; the Lepanto Institute started running radio and TV ads challenging Bp Bootkowski to rehire Jannuzzi -- and finally, the good guys won.
Ready for the next fight? WE CAN WIN!
Thanks be to God!
Is this lady a FReeper? Sounds like she belongs here.
Great news! Thanks be to God, indeed.
Someone here shared a link to this story when they learned that I grew up not far from Somerville. 8 only saw a few mentions of this here. Glad it turned out this way instead of being without any health insurance or income because of some queer friendly Hollywood twat sticking her nose and agenda into the mix.
Jannuzzi is 33 years old and has taught at Immaculata since age 3???
She also suggested in another post sexual orientation was a matter of choice and not an inborn trait,
That is not a suggestion that is a fact. There is no homosexual gene. Evertthing we DO as human beings is a choice. We have fee will.
It says Jannuzzi is "a 33-year theology teacher." That means that she's been teaching theology for 33 years, not that she is 33 years old.
Jannuzzi is in her late 50's. She started teaching a Immaculata I think when she was 25, and taught for 33 years. Right, that makes her 58.
Some journalists, unfortunately, struggle in the "clarity" department.
for later.
OK, so will Jannuzzi be teaching after 2016?
wasn’t clear from the article.
That was after the Bishop's attorney said she was NOT being re-hired, No, Nyet, Never, not under any possible scenario.
I half-suspect they (the Bishop, pastor, and principal) are going to wait until the brouhaha blows over, and then find some reason to dump her.
I hate to be so cynical. But these people do not seem to be acting on principle. She'd better get an iron-clad contract.
What state did this idiocy happen in?
Any Diocese willing to do this to a teacher because some Hollywood faggots got upset is run by morons and cowards
If she didn’t get a lawyer they would still be persecuting her.
I won't make any other personal comments about him, since I am tempted against charity.
“anti-gay” - you say that like it’s a bad thing....LOL
An early article in this saga quoted one homosexual alumnus named Scott Lyons, who is apparently related to Susan Sarandon. I suspect that’s what got the story spread so quickly among the militant deviant crowd.
I wish my kids’ teachers had been like this teacher.
OMW! Those quotes are what got the pro-sodomites in a snit? That’s “hate” speech? Good grief!
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