Did a Massachusetts Court Ruling Essentially Ban Catholic Schools?

Catholic News Agency ^ | 6/15/16 | Loredana Vuoto

[marshmallow]

Boston, Mass., Feb 15, 2016 / 04:45 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A Massachusetts court ruling against a Catholic school may have set a dangerous precedent that interferes with religious schools' ability to hire staff consistent with their mission, critics said.

"This court decision makes it impossible for faith-based institutions to survive," Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, told CNA.

Beckwith was responding to a court ruling that Fontbonne Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Milton, Mass., violated state anti-discrimination laws. The ruling suggested that religious freedom exemptions do not apply to the school because it accepts non-Catholic students.

"If this decision stands, it will either force faith-based schools to close their doors to anyone who is not of the same religion or they will have to give up their beliefs and hire without any regard to faith which will ultimately cease to make them faith-based institutions," Beckwith said.

In June 2013, Matthew Barrett was hired as a food services director at Fontbonne Academy. But the school rescinded the job offer a few days later after discovering that Barrett was in a civil same-sex marriage.

Fontbonne Academy's CEO, Mary Ellen Barnes, told Barrett that he could not be hired because his lifestyle is inconsistent with the Catholic Church's teaching on marriage. She explained that every employee is expected to be a minister of the school's Catholic mission.

The school is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston. The college preparatory high school says it offers students of all faith an "education that opens them to the Catholic heritage of the search for God and the expression of faith through concern for the dear neighbor."

[Mears]

Thanks for the post.

Maybe it will calm down some folks.

.

[Jeff Chandler]

[HarleyD]

What’s surprising is how surprised many of these people are who consistently vote for Democrats.

[onedoug]

This is what I recall from the case. I agree they did it to themselves.

[Original Lurker]

Hey, hey!
They’re the smartest people in the western hemisphere...!

If you don’t believe me, just ask ‘em.

[maryz]

What’s surprising is how surprised many of these people are who consistently vote for Democrats.

You think Massachusetts Republicans are any better? Think again. The party apparatus will actively primary any conservative with the temerity to run and they're careful to blackball any conservative who shows an interest in becoming part of the state party apparatus.

40 years ago, the local Dems were at least anti-abortion (though too many to preserve their status within the party were sucked left), but the state GOP was only too happy with it. Northeast (a/k/a Rockefeller) Republicans have been social liberal probably since shortly after Coolidge was governor.

[Varda]

Your link goes to a hoax thread.

[Original Lurker]

Moderator should have pulled the thread.
Eric Blair originally penned 1984 as fiction.

[cloudmountain]

They could still require that non-Catholic teachers teach Catholic doctrine, on pain of being fired. The boss still is able to tell the employees what they have to do.

Details, details. Why include THAT "little" fact and tell TRUTHS?

:o)

[metmom]

There’s a difference between students and faculty, which apparently escapes some people.

[HarleyD]

You’re absolutely right! Many Republicans these days are nothing more than closet Democrats.

[kearnyirish2]

Here in NJ the state is driving the Catholic Church out of the public sphere using different methods. In healthcare the requirement to treat people in ERs regardless of means to pay, while constantly reducing the reimbursement for said care, has closed hospitals; burdening taxpayers with ridiculously high school taxes has deprived them of the means to afford a Catholic education, so the Catholic schools close.

When people think the Catholic hierarchy is in bed with government because of the money it receives, I don’t see that happening in NJ; the education and healthcare infrastructure built by our Catholic forefathers is disappearing quickly.

[Campion]

Having lived for a time in that part of the world, maryz is right -- voting Republican in Mass accomplishes nothing. It's de facto a one party state.

The best thing for a freedom loving Christian in Massachusetts to do is to hire a moving van.