The Bergen Arts and Science Charter School is a taxpayer-funded public charter school in New Jersey run by a private non-profit organization. But their landlord is the Catholic Church, and because of this, the school was forced to paint over a 16-year-old student’s LGBTQ-supportive mural after parishioners complained about it being “offensive” and “obscene,” according to The New Civil Rights Movement (NCRM).
The mural reportedly showed two interlocking male symbols and a rainbow heart underneath two cartoonish human figures painted in the style of gay artist Keith Haring. The rainbow heart has since been painted over in red to resemble a generic heart.
“There are other portions that were also destroyed,” NCRM wrote.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Newark said it’s investigating the incident and added that the school building is also used by Church parishioners. The Church claims it didn’t ask the school to remove or paint over any part of the mural.
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If it’s confusing why a public school would use a Church building, NorthJersey.com explains:
“Charter schools are public schools that are privately managed. As charter schools have grown, many have taken up residence in empty properties owned by the Catholic Church.
A lease agreement for the school includes a stipulation about Catholic values. ‘Due to the Catholic nature of the Landlord, Tenant promises to conduct no affairs or establish any organizations that would be contrary to its Catholic moral values, ethics and faith,’ the lease states.”
In its statement, the Archdiocese said, “The mural violated that understanding in its permanent nature – directly painted on the surface – and in some of the content.”
So while the Archdiocese might not have told the school to paint over the heart, it apparently did tell the school that “some symbols of sexuality that were inappropriate for the building” and violated the lease agreement, which is really just a thinly veiled threat since a landlord is free to revoke a lease if its agreements aren’t met.
Related: Catholic cardinals say rampant sex abuse in church isn’t clergy’s fault & blame ‘homosexual agenda’
The unnamed 16-year-old queer-identified female student artist protested her treatment on social media:
“So…my school’s owned by a Catholic Church and they want me to take down my Keith Haring mural that supports the LGBT community,” wrote the student, who did not want her name published. “They think it’s inappropriate and wrong for a school setting. I’m heartbroken and I really never thought this could actually happen. Please help.”
“This school is infringing on my rights just as much as the church now. A public school is complicit in discrimination.”
In a statement, Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality, wrote, “It is offensive, unconscionable, and flatly unconstitutional for this church acting as a for-profit landlord to restrict a public school’s curriculum or censor student speech within those walls. This type of hate-fueled bigotry is precisely why New Jersey needs LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum to promote acceptance and understanding.”
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Polaro
You can have thought control without censorship.
Cam
The goal of the right wing religious bigots is to erase evidence that LGBTQ people exist.
kevininbuffalo
It’s very simple, if you want freedom you don’t get involved with the Catholic Church. If there is a way to make people dance to their tune they’ll do it. I’m getting older and I’ve told my family to never put me in a Catholic hospital or nursing home. I don’t want the god dam pope deciding any end of life issues for me. I avoid Rome altogether. Yes, I’m an ex Catholic.
Kangol2
But wait, I thought the Roman Catholic Church was claiming to respect the dignity of gay people even if it was against gay sex, gay marriage, etc. So a painting of two men with a pro-gay symbol, with zero sex, led to this extreme action? I mean, come on! And how many times does it have to be said, Jesus Christ Himself NEVER–not once, not ever–spoke out against or condemned homosexuality in the Four Gospels, which are considered the sacred record of his life. He speaks out about a number of other things (turning temples into banks, not mistreating and abandoning the sick, strangers and those in jail (yes, that’s in there), not loving God and others, etc.), but at no point does he ever condemn homosexuality or same-sexual behavior. So the Catholic Church and anti-gay Christian fanatics in general need to take a chill pill and listen to the person they purportedly worship, i.e., the Son of God.
MacAdvisor
Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality, is simply wrong. The question here is not one of Constitutional rights, but contract law. The contract freely entered into by the school restricts what that school can do with the property, as with any rental agreement. I have a section in the leases I have for my tenants that specifically prohibits painting the unit without my consent and approval of the paint color or design. That the Catholic Church disapproves of the design is disappointing, of course, but hardly unexpected.
PinkoOfTheGange
yup. This is a dance with the devil kind’a thing.
Cam
Except unless the church stated they can’t do any art or decorations depicting LGBT rights there isn’t. Contracts that have vague “You can’t do something we don’t like” clauses are routinely thrown out of court.
James Hart
You are correct.
If a gay landlord stipulated in his contract with a straight couple that they could not put up in their windows anything anti-gay, and then they did so, the gay landlord could nullify their lease if they didn’t comply. It works both ways in contract law.
PinkoOfTheGange
Oh stop the pearl clutching. The chruch is asking for some specific alteration to something that is on their property. That isn’t a threat unless the school doesn’t comply. Most landlords would remedy the situation by giving the tenant a reasonable time to make the changes; then if not completed, carry them out them selves and bill the tenant. Only fools kicks a paying tenant out over some paint.
I can’t believe you all got me to defend the RCC.
Cam
Translation: Oh stop being upset by direct bigotry that is so rabid and hateful it can’t even abide an art project pointing out that LGBTQ people exist.
Perhaps the church should be more worried about the massive drop in members since their slavery of young girls in the magdeline houses and their molestation of children being hidden was exposed.
PinkoOfTheGange
@Cam: It is their property, full stop.
If you owned a house and rented it out, would you allow the tenant to spray paint “God Hates F**z” on the garage door?
Ukin Blome
Of course the RCC had to have it covered over. The priests were getting so excited they were loosing control of themselves, again.
DCFarmboy
Obviously the landlord is legally right. If you are renting space, making permanent changes without landlord permission is rarely allowed. I also take it as the Archdiocese says they are investigating, the building is probably owned by a parish, not the Archdiocese, and it was the parish that objected.
Jared MacBride
The student should feel honored about being attacked by the world’s oldest and largest crime syndicate.
jckfmsincty
The Catholic Church continues to be increasingly irrelevant.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
What I find to be “offensive” and “obscene,” are the tens of thousands of little boys fcuked by Catholic Priest……