Catholic School Fires Lesbian

For 19 years, Carla Hale had been the beloved physical education teacher and coach at a Catholic high school in Columbus, Ohio.  Everybody loved Carla --   her students, their parents, her faculty colleagues, her school’s administrators -- everybody. 

Then, a few weeks ago, Carla’s mother died, and Ms. Hale had the obituary include the name of her partner, whose name is Julie, and with whom she has shared a life for 10 years.  

But someone wrote an anonymous letter to the school informing it of the obituary -- and so the Catholic diocese fired her.

Why?

Diocese Bishop Frederick Campbell says it was because her “quasi-spousal relationship violates the moral laws of the Catholic Church.” 

Now it wasn’t because Carla is a homosexual.  It was because of the obit.

See, the Catholic Church does not condemn homosexuality, but it does condemn the  physical expression of homosexuality.  In the diocese’s view the obituary expressed that physicality by listing Julie’s name.  Thus, Carla was fired.

Columbus exploded in anger.  

Catholics, Protestants, gays, straights, atheists -- all marched on the school.  

Pro and con letters to the editor poured in to the Columbus Dispatch at a record or near-record volume.  

Hundreds of phone calls, some of them threatening, jammed the school’s telephone lines. 

More than 125,000 people signed an online petition to get her reinstated.  About 800 signed one that supported her firing.

But so far the ruling stands, and probably is headed to court.  

By the way, Ms. Hale is no floozie.  She is a 57-year-old Methodist whose daughter totally supports her mom’s lifestyle, which she never flouted but never hid.  She would very happily marry Julie if Ohio law allowed it.  

But it doesn’t, so she can’t, and therefore she stands convicted.   

Done in by an obit.

Amazing.   

-Skip