Controversy has hit a Catholic high school in Burien, Washington after it last week parted ways with two of its most “gifted” teachers. Those who know the teachers allege they were forced to resign because of their sexuality.
Paul Danforth, an English teacher who’d been with Kennedy Catholic High School for five years, and a female colleague who worked as a soccer coach – had recently got engaged to their respective same-sex partners.
Although Washington has anti-discrimination legislation, the school has religious exemptions. The Archdiocese of Seattle demands all employees, “live a lifestyle compatible with Catholic teaching.”
On Friday – Valentine’s Day – the school issued a statement saying both teachers had “voluntarily resigned.”
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It praised both teachers as “highly capable, gifted, and qualified teachers … Their loss will be felt deeply by their students and the entire community.”
Over the weekend, a different story began to emerge. King County council member Dave Upthegrove posted a Facebook posting alleging both teachers were “forced” to resign because of their sexuality.
He said, “Kennedy High School in Burien today fired (forced the resignation of) two of their teachers solely because they are gay/lesbian. This is a reminder of the blatant discrimination that continues to exist in our community against members of the LGBT community.”
He went on to post that someone raised a rainbow flag at the school following news of the teachers’ departure broke – but it was swiftly taken down.
Kudos to whoever raised this flag tonight at Kennedy Catholic High School. Unfortunately it has been removed already, but….bravo…it looks good there.
Posted by Dave Upthegrove on Saturday, February 15, 2020
Fellow council member Joe McDermott posted to Facebook, “I’m angry that Kennedy Catholic High School has forced the resignations of two respected teachers because they are gay. This action is hurtful to the two former teachers, the Kennedy Catholic community, and most especially to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students at Kennedy Catholic.”
Then, Paul Danforth’s fiancé, Sean Nyberg, took to social media to blast the school over its actions.
Nyberg tweeted Sunday, “DEVESTATED! On Nov 1st I proposed to my partner in @Disneyland … three months later he was forced to resign his job as an English Teacher at Kennedy Catholic High in Seattle, because of the same sex engagement. It’s heartbreaking.”
Nyberg posted footage of the proposal online.
The video of the proposal at @Disneyland last November pic.twitter.com/NWBp94nJDj
— SeanNyberg (@SeanNyberg) February 17, 2020
He went on to post a statement, saying of Danforth: “After teaching there for over five years, and with a stellar record, he is no longer employed specifically because he and I got engaged. We entered into an agreement to take our relationship to the next level and enjoy the emotional, spiritual and legal benefits that marriage conveys.”
The school and Archdiocese of Seattle have not responded to further request for comment on the teachers’ departure.
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Neither of the teachers involved has publicly issued statements. A petition demanding their reinstatement has gained over 15,000 signatures. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe for them has raised over $33,000 in just three days.
It says, “Two beloved and extraordinary teachers at Kennedy Catholic High School “voluntarily resigned” on February 13, 2020, because of their sexual orientation and desire to live authentically (and legally) married to their partners.”
Yesterday, following the President’s Day holiday, students at the school staged a mass walkout over the departure of their beloved educators. Carrying rainbow placards and slogans such as “Love Wins” and “Jesus had two dads and turned out fine,” they are demanding change at the school. Nyberg filmed the protest. He said it was, “One of the most powerful things I have ever seen in my life.”
Nov 1st I proposed to my partner in @Disneyland
Feb 13th my partner was forced to resign as a high school teacher
Today, Feb 18th, students walk out in protest.
This was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. Our engagement should be celebrated not punished. pic.twitter.com/m8eK6wIySI— SeanNyberg (@SeanNyberg) February 19, 2020
CBS reports the teachers have hired an attorney, although what legal action they may take is unclear at this stage.
James
the catholic church is nothing but a hate group
Larry
A hate group in addition to the fact that the main things they preach are priests cant be marred (not in the bible), women cant be priests (not in the bible), no red meat on Friday (not in the bible and OH we decided to change that one) and no birth control (not in the bible.) All of this doctrine originated to control people and take money. In fact marriages were not a church thing until the Catholic Church realized when the husband died, they lost all the family money. So ordaining marriage in the church kept the family money until the wife died. All of these things are historical facts and NOT in the bible. The Catholic Church is the biggest scam on earth.
Kieran
Do they force divorced employees to resign as well? Or do they only target their Stones against gays?
Kangol2
Nope, many do not force divorced Catholics or non-Catholics to surrender their jobs. They only go after out gay people, especially on the issue of same-sex relationships and marriage. (Closeted, especially if you’re a clergy person, is fine.)
Kangol2
This has been happening all over the country since same-sex marriage became legal at the state level and then the federal level. It’s horrendous. Oh, and Drumpf’s Secretary of Miseducation Betsy DeVos wants to take more of your tax dollars and funnel them to such institutions!
fur_hunter
Due to Separation of Church and State, religious institutions are not under the auspices of state or federal laws or rulings. It is unfortunate and discriminatory but that is the way it is. Even with protesting, I do not see them being re-hired. ALL religious institutions refuse to accept the unbiased and legitimate factual information regarding homosexuality. They rely on a stupid book written over 1500 years ago by MEN……That’s right. MEN. God had NOTHING to do with it. God neither wrote nor inspired ANY of the writings in that book. If you think He did….SHOW ME THE PROOF! There are so many errors and mistakes in it that if God actually DID have a hand in its conception….God is a MORON.
Cam
This is completely not true. Churches are not immune. It goes the other way, the government cannot PROMOTE a church or religion.
This school would have been subject to the state’s non-discrimination laws, but they had a special pro-bigotry exemption carved out for them by religious legislators allowing them the exemption.
Felecia
I can’t fathom WHY a LGBT teacher would even apply to a Catholic school…if they are that great of educators, it seems that they’d have their pick of jobs in any OTHER non-religious institution. This to me makes about as much sense as if we found out that Hitler’s squeeze Eva Braun was 100% Jewish…just give the Pope the finger, boys…don’t overstay where you aint wanted; and quit trying to upset the apple-cart by sneezing on it. Gonna take a LOT more than that to change the minds in the Vatican…and Rome gives not one shit about what American Catholics think anyway, sorry-to-burst-the-bubble, lol….just get married and move on. There’s no fighting an old man in a dress who wears a pointy hat like the KKK and dates altar-boys on the down-low, lol…