Lesbian forced out of job at Catholic school after marriage

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-09-07 08:07

  Lesbian Catholic school AD forced out of job after marriage
  By Cameron Smith
  
  Tuesday evening, Christine Judd was still the Athletic Director and Dean of Students at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Mass. Then suddenly, after a single meeting on Wednesday morning, she was not.
  
  According to MassLive.com, Judd met with officials of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield Wednesday after the diocese -- which runs Cathedral and other Catholic schools in the Springfield area -- learned that Judd, an open lesbian, married her longtime partner in August.
  Judd isn't a newcomer to Cathedral. The Springfield resident served as AD for three years and dean of students for six years. She'd been at Cathedral 12 years in all before she "resigned," on Wednesday. And though she may have technically resigned, her decision didn't seem to be so open ended when you hear Judd describe the options that the diocese presented her with.
  "I was given a choice of termination or resignation," Judd said. "I'm hurt, but I wish nothing but the best for Cathedral, its students, the parents, the athletic teams, administration and faculty. I bleed purple (the school's color)." ...
  "I married my partner this summer," Judd said. "I was hoping that my loyalty, my professionalism the last 12 years would supersede the current hypocrisy that has already been shown with the Diocese of Springfield."
  Asked to elaborate on her claim of hypocrisy, Judd said she questions if there are lay persons who work for the Catholic diocese who divorce and remarry without an annulment, or employees who use birth control, or men who have had vasectomies, or individuals who are pro-choice on abortion.
  Technically, the Springfield diocese is within its rights. While same-sex marriage has been legal in Massachusetts since 2004, it's strictly against diocese policy. That means that Judd breached her contract when she was married this summer. Mark Dupont, a spokesman for the Springfield Diocese, indicated that Judd's departure was a direct result of her decision.
  "Without being specific to this matter, it should be clear that all employees of our Catholic schools are made aware of our policies and regulations," Dupont said. "This includes language that clearly states that whenever by public example, an employee engages in or espouses conduct which contravenes the doctrine and teaching of the Catholic Church, that employee may be subject to disciplinary action. To do otherwise would be in contradiction to the values we believe in and are teaching in these same schools. So while we certainly want to be compassionate and understanding, we must be true to who we are."
  "We are certainly thankful to Ms Judd for her past service at Cathedral High School and wish her the best in the future," Dupont said.
  While Cathedral may already be moving on -- the school named Farrand Violette, the head football coach, as interim Athletic Director -- it's also clear it is losing a pillar of the Cathedral community. As MassLive pointed out, the school website glowed that Judd was "one of the key members of the faculty and staff who serve as positive role models for the students." Members of the local media who knew her best are singing her praises even more loudly.
  Now Judd is gone, thanks to a controversial decision she lays squarely at the feet of the Springfield Diocese rather than the school itself.
  "Cathedral had nothing to do with this," Judd said. "This was a diocesan decision. In the end, the timing of this issue really affects the kids. That is where it has the most effect."

  
  
  Lesbian Catholic school AD forced out of job after marriage - Prep Rally - Highschool - Yahoo! Sports
  
  Too bad the majority of private schools are based on religion.
  Otherwise, they would've been better investments in terms of education.
• paladin wrote on 2010-09-07 11:13
  Thats why people dont pay cash and go to public
  Your already paying taxes so aleast get something out of it
• Rose wrote on 2010-09-07 12:12
  I go to a Christian based school, and I've never let peoples opinions, views or advice dictate my religion, or belief.
  
  School's like this need to be burned to the ground, there's countlesss **** like this going on, and it has to stop.
  
  This might be because i love Phunkie (Who's Homosexual) but then again, it doesn't matter what you stand for, as long as you stand in respect.
  
  As a Tl;dr (Even though it's short) Be proud of what you believe in, but don't force views or opinions onto other people, it's not socially acceptable.
• Axx wrote on 2010-09-07 13:58

  
  
  As a Tl;dr (Even though it's short) Be proud of what you believe in, but don't force views or opinions onto other people, it's not socially acceptable.

  
  I dunno, isn't that what she (the teacher) is doing, especially since there are explicit consequences to the action (aka, she was aware that it was in the contract)?
• Juno wrote on 2010-09-07 14:02
  Honestly, what was she expecting? She'd worked there 12 years presumably with the school knowing her sexual orientation and that she had a partner. She was an esteemed member as well. She had to have known that the marriage would have been a breach of contract by that time. I'm impressed the school was level-headed enough to allow all that with the witch-hunts that take place elsewhere and all.
  
  That being said, the Diocese has a point. She also makes a lot of sense with her hypocrisy claim. Looking at it from a non-religious point of view it still makes sense. If Ronald McDonald started eating Whoppers in commercials he'd be fired on the spot.
• Demeter wrote on 2010-09-07 16:01
  I'm a definite believer in GLBT rights and such, but this situation would have happened regardless. Both sides have good points of defense.
• Zid wrote on 2010-09-07 16:09
  Don't know about the hypocrisy claim.
  
  Despite that, the hypocrisy claim doesn't change that she did something that was against the beliefs of the Diocese. Her leaving the school because she did something that is against the beliefs of the Diocese is no different than if someone working at Apple had to leave because he/she shared corporate assets to other companies.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-09-07 16:27
  You can feel bad for her, and hope that things change for the better sometime in the future, but in this specific case there were rules laid down since the very start, so its kinda her fault.
  
  Not much I can say about it.
• Kazuni wrote on 2010-09-07 18:39
  Same thing happened at a school near here >_>
  
  A teacher was laid off after she applied for leave because her female partner was giving birth.
  
  She was a music teacher. All girls catholic school.
  
  The students were mad.
• Zandero wrote on 2010-09-07 19:57
  I try to avoid the religious.
  
  I should get a tattoo on my forehead of like a "devil" or something. :o
• paladin wrote on 2010-09-07 20:01
  Its good point
  Only real reason id justify it is since its breach of contract
  Religon i wont go into
  But many places will eject you for breach of contract
• Tarvos wrote on 2010-09-07 20:19
  This might be breach of contract, but, I can't believe that their allowed to get away with that in a contract. I only respect a religion's practices until they start infringing on the choices of others. Sadly, they can get away with this, and in the future we can only hope that people open their minds up a bit and realize the future is different and not everyone thinks the same dark-ages ideology anymore.