Minnesota Catholic School Forces Teacher to Resign for Disagreeing with Church on Gay Marriage
Trish Cameron, a Minnesota fifth-grade teacher at St. Joseph's School in Moorhead, Minnesota was forced to resign after responding to a questionnaire given to her by the school which asked her about the church's teachings.
Cameron, who had been at the school for 11 years, said it was her personal support for gay marriage that got her fired.
In a letter sent to St. Joseph’s staff and families, Trish Cameron said she was told June 1 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, she wrote in the letter.
Her response, as quoted in her letter, reads: “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).”
After a later discussion with school administration, Cameron said in the letter that she told them she did not agree with the church’s stance against gay marriage. Because of her dissent, she was asked to write a brief letter of resignation.
The school sent a letter to parents calling it “an unfortunate circumstance” but said it was the school’s “fiduciary responsibility” to ask her to leave.
"If you take government money, you follow government rules."
Really?
Really?!?!?
So, if you take a student loan, you must support government opinions?
If you take food stamps, you are required to vote for Barack Obama?
If you are on welfare, you lose your right to free speech?
I sincerely hope anyone who voices such a stupid opinion is physically incapable of voting at all.
Posted by: Steve Kellmeyer | Jun 12, 2012 9:57:28 AM
@ Steve Kellmeyer: That's not what he's saying. If you take government money to provide a service, then you don't get to discriminate against people in providing that service.
Posted by: Fritz | Jun 12, 2012 10:13:47 AM
@ Steve Kellmeyer
Why do you need nanny state government to keep your schools going? Why do you have to pick my pocket – oops I know you like to use the PC word ‘tax’--- to pay for the religous schooling of other people’s children? Why don’t you believe that parents should be responsible for their children instead of the government?
And my last question, Why do you need to live off of government welfare instead of getting a real job like a man?
Posted by: ELI | Jun 12, 2012 10:29:27 AM
Nice to see that a Catholic school is willing to stay firm and steadfast to Church teaching and Tradition.
Posted by: cory | Jun 12, 2012 12:34:20 PM
I am sorry but two men taking turns ejaculating into each other's smelly anuses is not normal no matter how hard you try to spin it.
Posted by: david | Jun 12, 2012 12:49:27 PM
@Cory,
So you're happy that the church does not believe in free thought or opinion. To you there is no place for love in your church but there is a special place for hate and bigotry.
Posted by: ELI | Jun 12, 2012 12:50:16 PM
@David
Okay, now we know how you feel about what you have been doing with you're father. But what to you think of the story?
Posted by: ELI | Jun 12, 2012 12:56:22 PM
It appears from the article that part of Ms. Cameron's responsibilities included religion classes, which makes this action totally legal. The Supreme Court just upheld the rights of religious-affiliated institutions like this to require anyone with a "pastoral" job to tow the line on church doctrine and a religion teacher would be included in that ruling.
That does not mean that the school isn't being hypocritical here. I am pretty sure if Ms. Cameron's problem with the church's teachings involved, say, believing in the death penalty, nothing would have happened. Only on the issues of abortion and LGBT equality is the Church demanding complete obedience, as they desperately attempt to deflect criticism from their decades of criminality. I also find it funny that two of the religion teachers I had in Catholic high school back in the 80s were divorced and no one seemed to have a problem with it. I guess the Church was less paranoid back then.
Of course, I would not have issued a resignation letter had I been in Ms. Cameron's shoes. Let the bastards fire me and fight me on the unemployment.
As for those of us who believe in the inherent humanity of all human beings, including LGBT ones, it is high time we begin treating the Catholic Church as the social pariah it is. We should be running a nationwide campaign to limit donations to any charities that are affiliated with, or do business with, the Catholic Church. As long as they continue to cover up decades, if not centuries, of child rapes, witness intimidation, fraud and payments of hush money, no on in society should trust them.
Posted by: CPT_Doom | Jun 12, 2012 1:31:51 PM
I admire this woman for standing up for what she believes in in spite of it putting her job in danger. Thank you, Ms. Cameron. Your sacrifice is a bigger message to your students than years of teaching could accomplish.
Posted by: jimstoic | Jun 12, 2012 2:52:59 PM
The Holy Inquisition is alive and well in Minnesota. More of the evil influence of Pope Maledict XVI.
Posted by: Jay | Jun 12, 2012 6:58:51 PM
I admit that I did not thoroughly read every comment, but it seems as though most folks making comments are perfectly a peace criticizing an organization for taking a principled stand when the entire gay rights movement was a principled stand. You seem to be saying that the only ones who are allow to take a stand are those who agree with you.
This school is a Roman Catholic School and the Roman Catholic Church is completely and utterly opposed to homosexual acts and is completely and utterly PRO Marriage in the traditional 1 man/1 woman/life long sense... this is no surprise to any of you.
How could they do otherwise and remain faithful to what they purport to believe.
I don't understand why the GAY Rights folks insist that everyone has to agree with them or they are a bigot. I see how it makes me a traditional believing Christian that adheres to what the Church teaches willingly... but I don't see the bigot thing.
Posted by: Doeug Pearson | Jun 13, 2012 8:59:05 AM
As a nation we are being held hostage to indoctrination. The Networks make the billions by encouraging inner strife within American politics while saber rattling war monger babies with their gun and bombs, all stamped with an expiration date call for the overthrowing of nations and lands because some land or nation is having sex as a justification for the plunder and land take overs while steeling their treasures and fine art. End sex laws and have peace on earth. In the 60's people were so close with the movements calling for making love to war. Now we are at that threshold again after time again we all suffer when all we have to do is stop. I would rather be F**Ked and loved.
Posted by: Keith Richard Radford Jr | Jul 2, 2012 1:23:32 PM