Posted on 07/03/2015 6:09:36 AM PDT by markomalley
A Catholic school in Macon, Ga., is facing a federal discrimination lawsuit from a former teacher whose employment was terminated in 2014 after the school found that he would be legally marrying his same-sex partner.
“The argument being made in this suit—that a Catholic school’s commitment to upholding Catholic teaching on marriage is discriminatory toward homosexual employees—is a grave threat to Catholic education,” said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society.
“A Catholic school exists for the very purpose of teaching the faith and forming young people for God,” he continued. “The implication is that our religion itself, rooted in love and true concern for the good of the person and the common good, is discriminatory because it upholds standards of morality and natural law.”
The teacher, Flint Dollar, taught music at Mount de Sales Academy for three years before his termination on May 21, 2014. The Telegraph reported that Dollar informed the school of his upcoming same-sex marriage when he signed the contract for the 2014-2015 term on May 1, 2014.
According to Breitbart, Dollar argued that “he was fired because of his marriage plans and [because] he didn’t comport with the school’s ‘traditional gender stereotypes.’” An investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reportedly determined “that ‘there is reasonable cause to conclude’ that Dollar had been discriminated against based on his sexual orientation.”
“The suit seeks a jury trial, saying that the school acted with malice or reckless indifference to Dollar’s federally protected rights. Dollar seeks back pay, reinstatement to his job, compensation for his emotional pain and suffering, and attorney’s fees,” reports Breitbart.
The suit asserts that Dollar “complied with the school’s Professional Excellence Standards during his employment at Mount de Sales,” according to the Telegraph. “The school’s faculty handbook doesn’t require teachers to be members of the Catholic [C]hurch, and it doesn’t require any faculty members to adhere to the [C]hurch’s teachings on marriage.”
Mount de Sales Academy reportedly “released a letter last year saying that Dollar wasn’t fired because he’s gay, but because same-sex marriage goes against Catholic doctrine.”
Last year, 13WMAZ reported on the controversy caused by Dollar’s termination. President David Held invited “protesting students and parents gathered outside to come into the school to talk. He explained his reasons for not allowing Dollar to return to the school, saying Mount de Sales’ staff and faculty must follow the [C]hurch’s teachings.”
Father Allan McDonald, a pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Macon, Ga., reportedly told 13WMAZ that “Held’s decision is justified by Catholic teachings that oppose same-sex marriage.” Dollar’s same-sex marriage “is a public contract recognized by the state but something that is opposed to the Catholic faith,” said Fr. McDonald.
A diocesan statement released by the Diocese of Savannah “supports the decision of the Board of Trustees at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon not to employ Mr. Flint Dollar for the 2014-2015 school term.” The Cardinal Newman Society reached out to the Diocese of Savannah for further comment, but no response was received by time of publication.
School officials at Mount de Sales Academy were also contacted by the Newman Society, but did not respond to inquiries.
The waters will be tested with cases like this 2-3 times a week from here on out.
Count on it.
They smell blood in the water.
The flood gates have been opened for sure.
Flint Dollar (is that a male-stripper name or a male-prostitute name?) is a shockingly evil person. Someone engaged in homosexual sex is sinful and vio0lating God’s will, but not necessarily evil. A person who would attempt to force the Catholic Church, or any religious institution, to violate a central tenet of their faith is evil. I hope this predator receives justice soon.
Here we go.
Homosexual activist who targeted this school to sue.
Pray America is waking
Now it begins. All of our religious schools and enterprises will be facing these lawsuits. All our religious enterprises will be bled dry, financially. The only way to fight this is to defy these people. Yep, it may mean going to jail or worse. Either that, or “COMPLY” to the wishes of these people. We are headed for some very dark days.
There’s Catholics in Macon, Georgia? As well as same-sex married couples?
It must have changed a lot since I was there in the 60s.
And it begins...
The schools and churches without explicit stated requirements to faithfully agree to comply with church teachings will have a tough time in courts.
Of course, the homos will argue that having such requirements in employee contracts is itself discriminatory.
Freedom of religion trumps buggery. Case closed.
It should say the gates of hell have been opened for sure.
Not only are there Catholics, but Mount de Sales is a very well known and respected school. This ain’t gonna wash in Macon, GA. And I was in Perry/Warner Robins until last year.
One possible approach is to declare that a contract requiring employees to refrain from active opposition to Christianity is morally repugnant, like a murder-for-hire contract, and therefore unenforceable.
Can armed resistance be far behind
Catholic schools need an HR person with gaydar skills. Seems like they’re always getting into trouble with gay employees. Opt to hire applicants who are married to the opposite sex with three kids, a big hound dog and who’s hobbies include fishing, hunting and watching football.
More like the gates of Hell.
I get the part about being married to a wife, but not about being married to the hound dog (just kidding just kidding).
It is actually more basic than that.
There are three paragraphs in the Catechism that deal with the subject of homosexuality. Most people in the Church are so poorly catechized (and never hear to the contrary) that they only think about one of the three:
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
The two that they don't consider surround that paragraph:
2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,140 tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."141 They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.
(see above for 2358)
2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
Because of this neglect, they are constantly concerned with not "unjustly discriminating". And even then, they don't read the whole thing, judging any form of discrimination as being "unjust."
Because of that, the CDF issued a document back in 1992 that clarifies this situation:
10. “Sexual orientation” does not constitute a quality comparable to race, ethnic background, etc. in respect to non-discrimination. Unlike these, homosexual orientation is an objective disorder (cf. Letter, no. 3) and evokes moral concern.
11. There are areas in which it is not unjust discrimination to take sexual orientation into account, for example, in the placement of children for adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or athletic coaches, and in military recruitment.
Obviously then, there is nothing wrong with not hiring a sodomite for these teaching positions. Sadly, the majority of Catholics don't bother studying their own faith enough to get beyond a partial reading of CCC 2358 to understand this. And if I try to correct them...well, I'm labeled a "hater."
Go figure.
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.