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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Mon May 13, 2013, 05:19 PM May 2013

Fired gay Ohio teacher: Union won’t back complaint

Source: AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A gay teacher challenging her firing by an Ohio Catholic school says the local union for Catholic educators has decided not to proceed with her complaint.

Carla Hale said Monday the grievance committee for the Central Ohio Association of Catholic Educators isn’t supporting her efforts to get back her job as a physical-education teacher. The association hasn’t returned telephone calls seeking comment.

Hale also filed a complaint with the city of Columbus, which prohibits firings based on sexual orientation. Hale says she was fired from Bishop Watterson High School after her partner’s name was revealed in her mother’s published obituary and someone complained.

Bishop Frederick Campbell says Hale was fired not because of her sexual orientation but because she violated the church’s moral teaching by having what he describes as a “quasi-spousal relationship” with a woman.

###


Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/05/13/fired_gay_ohio_teacher_union_wont_back_complaint/

26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fired gay Ohio teacher: Union won’t back complaint (Original Post) DonViejo May 2013 OP
Oh my God .. Lenomsky May 2013 #1
And people wonder mainstreetonce May 2013 #2
It isn't a public school - Ms. Toad May 2013 #4
I know that mainstreetonce May 2013 #11
True. Ms. Toad May 2013 #13
Are you female, and does your partner teach in a Catholic school? Ms. Toad May 2013 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author monmouth3 May 2013 #3
it's a madrasa for catholics nt msongs May 2013 #5
madrasa just means school Ash_F May 2013 #12
Carla Hale MJJP21 May 2013 #7
Especially since local law backs her up Omaha Steve May 2013 #9
Do you happen to know... SkyDaddy7 May 2013 #19
As far as I know the NEA is pro-LGBT, but I'm in Massachusetts, Arkana May 2013 #21
They are pro- LGBT Omaha Steve May 2013 #24
I am very close to this story and Watterson High School and the Catholic Church ..... Botany May 2013 #8
Quite frankly, I'd love to know where the Bishop placed the secret cameras in their home. MADem May 2013 #15
The two sad things about this case are: Botany May 2013 #17
Yes, those are the two things that should make anyone reading about it both sad AND angry. MADem May 2013 #18
I have friends who are nuns....... mrmpa May 2013 #10
I dont agree with them firing her for this but really what can you do? cstanleytech May 2013 #14
I'd look for any instances of local, state or federal funding finding its way to that school. MADem May 2013 #16
Private school... not much to be done... Pelican May 2013 #20
I hope Carla Hale owns this school, when it's all over. (nt) RainbowSuperfund May 2013 #22
She won't. I doubt she'll even win a case against the Church... DonViejo May 2013 #23
Scary time for teachers :( Thatlesbianteacher Nov 2013 #25
Welcome to DU. Would you copy/paste some of what you link to in your posts? uppityperson Nov 2013 #26

Lenomsky

(340 posts)
1. Oh my God ..
Mon May 13, 2013, 05:33 PM
May 2013

My partner is a Female Teacher and dates a European .. should we be worried? *quivers* Maybe if I was Latin American it would be a sure thing or even black or ....

Response to DonViejo (Original post)

Arkana

(24,347 posts)
21. As far as I know the NEA is pro-LGBT, but I'm in Massachusetts,
Tue May 14, 2013, 10:37 AM
May 2013

and you can come into your classroom dressed as Osama bin Laden and fire a few AK-47 rounds into the ceiling, and the union will STILL defend you when you get fired.

Botany

(70,291 posts)
8. I am very close to this story and Watterson High School and the Catholic Church .....
Mon May 13, 2013, 07:16 PM
May 2013

..... keep digging thmselves into a deeper and deeper hole. In the short run they are
losing the P.R. battle and in the long run they will lose in both criminal and a civil courts.

BTW Despite all the B.S. Ms. Hale keeps saying she just wants her job and to work
with her students.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
15. Quite frankly, I'd love to know where the Bishop placed the secret cameras in their home.
Mon May 13, 2013, 10:39 PM
May 2013

How does he know their relationship is "quasi-spousal" and what does he mean by "quasi," anyway?

Unless this woman and her partner are describing, in excruciating detail, the specific parameters of their relationship, the Bishop "knows" nothing. He is assuming details about their partnership that are not in evidence, and he's being a nosy Parker as well as being an asshole about it, too.

I hope she finds a way to win against this bullshit...and I think the union was a bunch of chickenshitz.

Botany

(70,291 posts)
17. The two sad things about this case are:
Mon May 13, 2013, 11:02 PM
May 2013

1) Ms. Hale's #1 goal is to go back to being a teacher @ Watterson and as such she has
not started any sort of legal action against the School or the Catholic Church.

2) Ms. Hale's union did not stand up for her rights.

*********************
BTW Everybody in and around the school knew she was gay for years and that the
current and former students @ the school have her back in this case. This whole thing
was kicked off by one anonymous letter to the school's principal.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
18. Yes, those are the two things that should make anyone reading about it both sad AND angry.
Mon May 13, 2013, 11:25 PM
May 2013

I really wish this teacher would take that school to "church," as it were, and sue them blue and win. The fact that people knew of her circumstances and they didn't care or didn't take action is a point, legally, in her favor. They can't play a "plausible deniability" game up to, and until, they get a poison pen letter--it makes them (surprise, surprise) HYPOCRITES!

I wonder how the Bishop would feel if someone sent the new Pope a letter about how he frequents the (insert name of gay or straight bar here) for purposes of meeting a nice lady/fellow to date. I'm sure the Pope would get right on that, because anonymous letters should be handled like dispatches from the most senior authorities on the planet...apparently!

I'm just not clear why that letter didn't end up in the round file...?

mrmpa

(4,033 posts)
10. I have friends who are nuns.......
Mon May 13, 2013, 07:44 PM
May 2013

when I received my Masters Degree in Education, they asked if I would like to teach in their high school. They know me quite well, and didn't blink an eye, when I said "I would like to, but I can't do the Church thing."

I'm not gay, but if any of my co-teachers were, if I taught in a Catholic or Public School, I would back them to the hilt.

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
14. I dont agree with them firing her for this but really what can you do?
Mon May 13, 2013, 09:48 PM
May 2013

It is after a private school being run by the church so isnt the governments ability to regulate who they hire and fire somewhat limited due to the whole "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" thing in the constitution?

MADem

(135,425 posts)
16. I'd look for any instances of local, state or federal funding finding its way to that school.
Mon May 13, 2013, 10:42 PM
May 2013

ANYTHING--"free" parking lot plowing in winter, federal school lunch subsidies, state textbook aid...anything that creates a hook between the government and the school...and hang the case on that.

Worth a shot, anyway.

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
23. She won't. I doubt she'll even win a case against the Church...
Tue May 14, 2013, 11:53 AM
May 2013

or the Union. The Church maintains she wasn't fired for her sexual orientation, but rather, violating her contract by publicly discussing her relationship.

If you think about it, this "don't discuss your relationship" contract appears to be a way the Church gets around NOT hiring (and/or outright firing) gay teachers. I haven't seen this type tactic used in years but, there it is (still).

District Says Teacher Was Not Fired For Sexual Orientation

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022748463

25. Scary time for teachers :(
Fri Nov 1, 2013, 07:26 PM
Nov 2013

I'm scared of this each time I consider coming out to my students. I have recently decided I can't move on with my life and stay closeted. Follow my journey here:

http://thatlesbianteacher.com/2013/10/05/inspired-scared-courageous-scared/

uppityperson

(115,674 posts)
26. Welcome to DU. Would you copy/paste some of what you link to in your posts?
Fri Nov 1, 2013, 07:31 PM
Nov 2013

It is good to see some of the writing and makes it look less like you are just flogging your blog. A lot of us will be interested. Thanks.

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