Al Fischer, Gay Music Teacher, Fired From St. Louis Catholic School After Revealing Plans To Marry Partner

A Missouri-based gay music teacher at an area Catholic school was recently dismissed from his job after authorities learned of his plans to wed his male partner of 20 years in New York.

As The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting, Al Fischer was fired Feb. 17 from St. Ann Catholic School in north St. Louis County, where he'd worked for four years. Fischer did not comment to the paper directly about his dismissal, but instead referred to an email sent to his students' parents after he was terminated.

The Post-Dispatch quotes from the letter, in which Fischer tells parents of "my joyful news, and my sad news," i.e. his plans to marry his longtime partner in New York City, and "that I can't be your music teacher anymore." The letter also encourages parents to discuss the situation with their children: "A family conversation about whether or not justice was served here could be a great thing. I do not want the lesson from this for the kids to be, 'Keep your mouth shut, hide who you are or what you think if it will get you in trouble.'"

Fischer's partner, Charlie Robin, told the paper that the couple's relationship was not a secret at the school, and that Fischer was only fired after a representative of the St. Louis Archdiocese overheard him talking to co-workers about his wedding plans.

St. Ann's pastor, Rev. Bill Kempf, confirmed to the Associated Press that Fischer was dismissed from his job when the parish was "informed by one of its teachers of [Fischer's] plan to unite in marriage with an individual of the same sex. With full respect of this individual's basic human dignity, this same-sex union opposes Roman Catholic teaching as it cannot realize the full potential a marital relationship is meant to express."

The St. Louis Archdiocese echoed those sentiments in a statement, saying it supports the school's action "as it is in full compliance with the Christian Witness Statement signed by every educator in the Catholic school system," according to the AP.

Parents also told the Post-Dispatch that Fischer's orientation was well-known. In addition to his teaching career, Fischer serves as Artistic Director for the Gateway Men's Chorus, which "affirms and promotes gay culture and acceptance through excellence in musical performance and education."

Fischer's termination comes on the heels of a similar case in North Carolina. As blogger Marianne T. Duddy-Burke pointed out, Steav Bates-Congdon, the music director at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Charlotte, was terminated for marrying his partner of 23 years in New York, even though he had reportedly told the pastor at the church six months before the ceremony, who never indicated there would be repercussions.

Take a look at some other employees who were fired for being LGBT below:

• Arabic Translator Fired From Navy For Being Gay

• College Soccer Coach Allegedly Fired Revealing She's A Lesbian

• College Professor Allegedly Fired For Being Transgender

• Substitute Teacher In Florida Fired For Being Involved In Gay Porn

• Corrections Officer For Juvenile Detainees Fired For Being Gay

• Woman Lost State Job With George General Assembly After Revealing She Is Transgender

• Dan Choi Fired From The Military For Being Gay

• Gay Water Polo Coach Fired For Being Gay

• Man Fired From Kentucky Farm Bureau For Supporting Gay Marriage

• Study Finds Gay Resumes Hurt Job Prospects

Comments

[Ossit]

07:23 AM on 03/06/2012

“do you accept all kinds of wrong behavior? or do you just justitfy certain ones? i am just curious to see what type of hypocrate you are”

If you're speaking, gpb91 whether homosexuality is "wrong behavior" I don't think it is. It's inborn like heterosexuality. I consider incest as "wrong behavior" and I've never heard of any gays doing that, just some sick heteros. Do I consider people doing it with animals "wrong behavior"? Obviously and I don't care what their sexuality. Do I consider rape, murder, robbery, arson "wrong behavior"? Obviously. I don't let religious dogma decide for me what's "wrong behavior" when it comes to whether being hetero is 'right' and homosexuality as 'wrong'.

[imanormalalien]

02:47 PM on 03/03/2012

this is legal?

[sfthick]

12:48 PM on 03/03/2012

Take away the church's tax exempt status.
They'll change their tune real fast.......

They should be ashamed of themselves.
I hope the teacher sues them.

[Mairead Volkane-o]

09:49 AM on 03/03/2012

"this same-sex union opposes Roman Catholic teaching as it cannot realize the full potential a marital relationship is meant to express" - So if he married a lady and they didn't have any babies, that would be grounds for dismissal too?

[StopThe BS]

02:28 AM on 03/03/2012

It is amazing that the Catholic Church will fire someone just because they are gay, but refuse to terminate priests who sexually abuse children.

This is a great example, in which any church and/or non-profit organizations that discriminates against gays, should be heavily fined and/or have their non-profit status temporarily suspended, until they abide by the Federal Law or have it revoked permanently.

[PeterVanKan]

05:00 PM on 03/02/2012

And yet some peoplel call the USA the greatest country in the world. Firing for reasons of sexual orientation is illegal in Holland and other European countries. (none of them socialist)

[Matthew Wittich]

12:11 PM on 03/02/2012

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is now reporting that reporting that Mr. Al Fischer lost his job at St. Rose Philippine Duschesne Catholic Church in north St. Louis county for the same reason. He was the musical director for Sunday Masses.

[Matthew Wittich]

12:39 PM on 03/02/2012

I should clarify... one of his other jobs. He is musical director at Congregation Shaare Emeth synagogue and St. Rose Philippine Church on the weekends. He is also artistic director for the Gateway Men's Chorus, whose mission is: The Gateway Men's Chorus affirms and promotes gay culture and acceptance through excellence in musical performance and education.

For all of you asking why he teaches at a Catholic school if he's gay. It could be the only place he can find a job. St. Louis is a VERY Catholic city. There are over 200 Catholic grade schools and 31 Catholic high schools. And that's just on the Missouri side of the river. There are 50 more grade schools on the Illinois side.

[srbragg67]

11:08 AM on 03/02/2012

Congratulations to the happy couple. And please accept my sincerest sympathies that your church and school would rather their children be less musically educated and to spread hate and intolerance than see a gay man amongst their midst. I am sorry that happened to you both and to the kids. I hope you find a church and employment with someplace more accepting of your lifestyle and love. God Bless.

[PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS]

11:02 AM on 03/02/2012

What a shame the catholic church didn't act so quickly when they learned thousands of little boys were being raped by priests.....................

[Melissa A Paoletti]

06:49 PM on 03/02/2012

You hit the nail on the head! I could not have said it better myself! The CC is the most hypocritical, homophobic and misogynistic institution in the world!

[wak84]

10:40 AM on 03/02/2012

Here in Charlotte, NC the non-Catholic music director of a large, wealthy, Catholic parish was fired after he returned from his out-of-state civil wedding to his long term male partner. The church seemed fine with their living arrangement as everyone was aware of the relationship and that they were a long-term gay couple. But the moment that he married, gone. He was given his walking papers as soon as he returned from the wedding, as a total surprise. The hypocrisy is incredible because if this were a heterosexual marriage, he would have probably been given a raise for "normalizing" the relationship by legally marrying.

[TJinSoCal]

10:24 AM on 03/02/2012

As a gay man who grew up in st. louis and went to catholic schools there, I'm not in the least bit surprised by this. And it's perfectly legal.
I'm grateful to my Catholic upbringing in that I learned lessons in irony and hyprocisy early on and distanced myself from the church at an early age. I knew they didn't want me and I certainly didn't want them. After having one particular priest teacher answer a question on homosexuality with a simple "it's not natural" and end any discussion, I almost busted out laughing considering that this guy was a flaming queen. In the catholic church, males have two paths: get married & make babies or become a priest. I wanted neither.
To the music teacher, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials and best of luck.
And you probably already know this, but catholic school teachers aren't paid well anyway.

[yoyo1900]

02:10 PM on 03/02/2012

Thanks for sharing your story with us. The Catholic Church is filled with priests who are in turmoil about their sexuality and so they turn to those who are in no way able to defend themselves.

[nonethewyzzer]

09:30 AM on 03/02/2012

Wonder if they're going to investigate the private lives of ALL of their teachers and summarily dismiss anyone and everyone who is not in 100% compliance with the views of the church?

I suspect there wouldn't be an employee left by the time The Inquisition ended.

[jh61]

09:23 AM on 03/02/2012

It's funny how he wasn't fired for being gay, as everyone knew it. They only fired him for getting married, which isn't even legally recognized in Missouri. I'd say he's got a case for discrimination.

[sunsnot]

09:20 AM on 03/02/2012

I was educated in a catholic school, and we learned values of compassion, kindness and humility. We learned not to judge, and that 'he was without sin, should cast the first stone'. We had two lay teachers who were gay, and everyone knew it and it wasn't an issue. The only concern was academic achievement. The church has a lot of good people who follow the teachings of Christ, and a lot of idiots who follow the 'man made' laws of the princes in the Vatican. The organization stinks as a whole but there are some great people who do the right thing. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In the meantime let's all pray that Mr. Fischer finds a school that needs educational talent and where he can bring music to people that appreciate it.

[joetheragman5]

09:01 AM on 03/02/2012

Private school, freedom to associate is in the Constitution...no problem in my book....we are a free society..