In the “let’s add insult to injury” category: Carla Hale, the Catholic school teacher who was fired after she listed her partner’s name in her mother’s obituary, won’t be getting any help from the Catholic teachers’ union. Apparently, the union is less interested in egregious wrongful termination than sucking up to the diocese.
“The COACE [Central Ohio Association of Catholic Educators] informs you of the decision of its Grievance Committee not to carry forward the grievance Ms. Carla Hale has filed to challenge the termination of her employment as a Diocesan teacher,” the union said in a letter to Hale.
Hale taught phys ed at Bishop Watterson High School for 19 years before she was fired. Principal Marian Hutson told Hale in the letter firing her that “Your written spousal relationship violates the moral laws of the Catholic Church.” Whereas firing people for no good reason does not.
Hale has filed a grievance with the city of Columbus for wrongful termination on the basis of sexual orientation, which the city prohibits. Without union support, she will have to bear the expense out of her own pocket.
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2eo
Has anyone actually ever met a christian who actually lives by what jesus said as opposed to the violent shit by that none existent motherf*cking bag of all that is shit in the world in god?
JoeWatchesTV
So who in our gay/lesbian policy apparatus infrastructure is gonna support this woman? Where is the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force or Lambda Legal?
Mr. E. Jones
@2eo:
Nope.
My cousin did missionary work to Africa about a decade ago. She said she was appalled that the minister in charge made kids sit through sermons that sometimes lasted up to 5 hours before he would feed them. When she asked if they couldn’t eat while being proselytized, he replied that they are children of God, not pigs at a trough, and need to learn patience.
Ottoman
@2eo: The whole point of Christianity is that you can be a total asshole then pretend to ask the sky for forgiveness and all is cool.
Religion only works on the ignorant, which is why its dying in first world countries.
Polaro
I did not realize that the city had an anti-discrimination law. This should be an easy case for her to win since they put the reason for termination in writing. She doesn’t even need the union. Sue for damages and legal costs.
Deepdow
Shameful, but then again this is the same church that helped murder, and I mean murder with such vociferous glee and bloodlust, hundreds of thousands of serbs in ww2. Look up the Jasenovac concentration camp and Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac. Brutes through and through.
Polaro
They don’t fire priests who molest children – a serious crime, but fire a teacher for being gay, which is not a crime at all. Priorities are all messed up.
NateB79
@Deepdow: Good God. I had never heard of the Jasenovac camp before. For some place to be more terrifying than Auschwitz, is really horrible.
Jonty Coppersmith
I feel sorry for her, but she worked for a church which means she has no chance of prevailing in this case. In approximately 29 states this could have happened to her even had she been employed in the public schools and she still wouldn’t have a case.
Merv
Wow, that’s really a great union. They really stand behind their members and look out for their interests.
Dakotahgeo
Cases such as this and child abuse is going to implode the church one day very soon. I would love to see not one stone sitting upon another in the Catholic world of the hierarchy and the people responsible for this debauchery in the name of Christ! Their day will surely come… and soon!
tdx3fan
@2eo: Quite a few actually, but then again I’m pretty lucky in that regards. My partner is actually a Catholic that lives by what Jesus taught. He is completely anti-Catholic hierarchy and goes to an Episcopalian church that is overly gay friendly and has quite a few others who live by the teachings of Christ. That being said, I am still an atheist.
tdx3fan
@JoeWatchesTV: I’m going with no one since everyone tends to feel that this woman got into this trouble through her own stupidity. My biggest question all along has been how many young boys and girls she has managed to fuck up through her closeted stance and most likely her own bigotry that she used as a tool to hide herself. She has supported a hate group for decades and we are now supposed to feel sorry for her because that hate group turned on her!?! Nah, ah, no, I don’t think so!!
tdx3fan
@Polaro: No, it is not that simple because Columbus the city has very little say over state regulations that do not protect gays and lesbians. The city has very little power, and this one will make it to the Supreme Court of Ohio where there is a very good chance that there will be a ruling that cities cannot make laws that affect employment because employment is governed by the state.