Eight principles to help Americans with conservative moral values
outlast the gay revolution:
Job offer withdrawn from woman who plans same sex marriage | ||||
St. Mary’s attempted to resolve the situation with the applicant, who was not named in the statement. But, the school said, “we have been unable to find an amicable resolution.” The school, sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, says it is part of a faith community that is obligated to follow current Catholic teachings regarding same-sex marriage in its employment practices. “At St. Mary’s we strive to live out the values of the Gospel while struggling with the complexities of today’s world,” the statement says. “This is a very challenging time for our school, our staff, our founders the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and our board of directors,” says Christina Friedhoff, St. Mary's Academy president,. “St. Mary’s is known for its diversity, inclusive spirit, progressive education and developing dynamic, women leaders. As a Catholic school, we recognize that in meeting our obligation to honor the current teachings of the Catholic Church related to employment and same sex marriage, we strive to find grace and healing within our community. St. Mary’s remains committed to diversity and social justice and nurtures the Catholic identity, practice, culture and mission on which we were founded.” Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample has voiced support for the school and the Holy Names Sisters in their effort to uphold teachings of the Catholic Church. “We expect that given certain reassurances by the federal government in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling making ‘same-sex unions’ the law of the land, our religious liberty would be protected in this case as well as any future cases of this sort,” the archbishop said in a statement. On a public Facebook page, some St. Mary’s alumnae expressed anger at their school and threatened to withdraw donations. From Willamette Week. August 26th. "Brown’s dismissal places St. Mary’s in the center of a national fight about when religious organizations can claim they’re exempt from anti-discrimination laws. It also threatens to open rifts at a Catholic high school where lesbian students are welcome, but LGBT faculty must remain in the closet.
“Some of my dearest colleagues in social justice came out of St. Mary’s,” says Jeanna Frazzini, co-director of Basic Rights Oregon,
the state’s largest LGBT advocacy group. “When folks at the school hear
about what’s happening, they’ll be concerned—and they’ll want to see
significant changes.”
St. Mary’s initially embraced Brown.
Principal
Kelli Clark welcomed Brown to the school staff in May. Clark added a
handwritten note to the letter: “Lauren—you are going to have so much
fun here!”
St. Mary’s sent her a
contract in July. On July 22, Brown received an email from an
administrator, asking her to complete a biography. “Tell us about your
spouse,” says the email Brown showed WW. “Tell us about your children. Talk to us about YOU! It’s your choice as to what you would like to share!”
The
next day, Brown says, Clark called to encourage Brown to consider
applying for an even more prominent job, director of admissions.
Brown
says she asked Clark in that phone call what she should say in her
biography, since she has a girlfriend. Brown also asked: Would she be
allowed to bring her girlfriend to school events? What if she got
married? She says Clark told her that was uncharted territory, but that
Clark would support her.
Brown says Clark called back July 30 with a different message: “It may not work out.”
Brown
met with Clark and Friedhoff at St. Mary’s on Aug. 4. She says the
meeting lasted more than three hours, with both women pressuring her to
sign a separation agreement that offered her six months’ salary in
return for a promise not to sue the school or talk about why she lost
the job.
The agreement, which Brown showed to WW,
included a script for Brown to follow. “Brown may post on her social
media pages the following statement to describe her separation from St.
Mary’s: ‘Friends, I want to let you all know I will no longer be at St.
Mary’s in the fall. Please message me if you know of any jobs available.
{3’”
(The two characters at the end of the statement were intended by the school to read as a heart emoticon, Brown says.)
The
agreement also said Brown could give the following reply if people asked
why she had been dismissed: “I learned that my intent to enter into a
same-sex marriage is in conflict with the teachings of the Catholic
church.”
St. Mary’s attorney Scott Seidman says Brown asked for these statements. Brown says they were written by school officials.
When Brown pushed back, the school increased its offer to a full year’s salary, $41,538, plus benefits.
Brown
left the meeting without signing. She called Gloria Trainor, a friend
she has since hired as her attorney. Brown says she hasn’t decided
whether to sue St. Mary’s.
Friedhoff says St. Mary’s continues to value diversity.
“This
is not an easy situation,” she says. “As with all matters of faith, we
strive to live out the values of the Gospel while struggling with the
complexities of today’s world.”
Brown says she hopes by telling her
story instead of taking the money, she’ll set an example for St. Mary’s
students not to be ashamed of who they are. She also hopes her
experience will open eyes to discrimination taking place in one of the
nation’s most gay-friendly cities.
“Portlanders
need to know that it’s happening right here,” Brown says. “It’s not
just in a small town in Pennsylvania, or Indiana or Texas. This is
Portland.”
|
This is a significant change from the Millennium Development Goals,
agreed over a decade ago, which did not include abortion, focusing on
maternal health instead. The new goals include two targets on sexual and
reproductive health and reproductive rights instead, the trademark of
abortion groups.
