Ohio Catholic School Teacher Fired Allegedly For Being Gay, Principal Calls It 'Unfortunate'

A Catholic high school in Ohio allegedly fired a teacher because he was gay. The man taught at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering.

Teachers employed at Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati schools were required to sign a contract every year that includes an agreement to not do anything that is “in contradiction to Catholic social doctrine or morals.” According to local reports, the unidentified teacher’s contract for the academic year 2020-2021 was not renewed allegedly because he was married to another man, something that is against the catholic policies.

Speaking to Dayton Daily News, Principal Lourdes Lambert said officials at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati took the decision of not renewing the contact of the longtime teacher after someone sent a “concern” about him to the office of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr. She confirmed that the “concern” was nothing to do with any incident that took place between the teacher and the students.

“It’s a very unfortunate circumstance for the teacher and the Alter community. Some things are taken out of our hands as an Archdiocese-owned school,” she said.

Speaking about the incident, Jennifer Schack, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese, said, “Our Catholic schools expect teachers and staff to be witnesses to the teaching of the Catholic Church in both word and deed. Public witness is a critical part of Catholic education. These expectations are clearly articulated in our teacher-minister contracts.”

She also went on to provide the Catholic Church’s official catechism which says homosexual acts cannot be approved under any circumstances.

After the news came out, several people, who supported the teacher, took to social media to criticize the policies. A petition to reinstate the teacher was also started.

“He is the favorite teacher for many of the students and well known by students who don't even have him in class. He is a teacher who does not just teach the curriculum but also teaches important life lessons,” the petition stated.

“Recently, the student body has found out that his contract with the Archdiocese had not been renewed. It was not renewed because of who he is married to: a man. This is seen as not right in the Church, but to take away someone's job for this reason is outrageous,” the petition added.