Trish Cameron Was Fired For Being Gay Friendly

It was just this past Monday that I posted about Jonathan Zeng, a teacher who was hired to teach, and then fired before even starting the job, because he's gay [see post HERE]. And, if that wasn't bad enough, and believe me, it is, now we have a another story of a teacher being fired in Minnesota.

Oh, except she wasn't fired for being gay, she was terminated for being gay friendly.

Trish Cameron, a fifth-grade teacher at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Moorhead, Minnesota, has said that she will not be allowed to return to her job in the fall because she questioned the Catholic Church’s stance on gay marriage.

How.Dare.She.

Cameron sent a letter to St. Joseph’s staff and families, telling them that she was told on June 1 that she would not be offered a contract for the following school year because of her response to a question on a self-evaluation; the question concerned whether she supported the Catholic Church’s teachings.

And what was her damning response to the question? This: “I do not agree w/ all Church teachings on a personal level but I do not bring my own opinions into our religion classes. We tend to focus on respect and love for one another and living out our call as servants whenever a ‘political’ topic crops (which it rarely, if ever, does).”

Huh. She teaches, but keeps her personal views out of the conversation? And that's bad?

Apparently so, because Trish Cameron's led to a discussion with school administration, at which time she told them that she did not agree with the church’s stance against gay marriage. The administration then decided, because of her stance, she would need to resign.

St. Joseph’s Catholic School principal, Troy Bieri, along with Superintendent and church Monsignor Mike Foltz, also sent letters to school faculty and parents. Their letter called the situation “an unfortunate circumstance” and stated that it was  the school’s “fiduciary responsibility” as a “Catholic-Christian school” to demand that Trish Cameron resign.

Yet, before they talked about how sad it all was, the letter praised Trish Cameron for being instrumental in developing St. Joseph’s drama club and for “her love of teaching and her kind and giving heart.” The letters also states that the situation “leaves the school with an air of sadness.”

I think it's more than sadness. i think it ought to be outrage that a teacher, who is praised by the administration, is fired for her opinions; opinions she does not bring to class, share with students, or influence her methods.

But that's the Catholic Church. Fire the good teachers and pay off the pedophiles.

But, as angry as this story makes me, I'll let it end with Trish Cameron, who no longer wishes to discuss her resignation:

"In my honest to goodness heart, I want the interest in this story to build bridges for all the right reasons, not to tear things down. I feel like perhaps there is a wave of interest that may need to come and go before I speak about this....I think that would be my higher calling – that is to say – if I am called to speak up with what’s been printed at some point, I want it to be for the right reasons. I want to be in an environment where people are listening. I want it all to unfold for all the right reasons.”

source