Jonathan Zeng, Ohio Music Teacher, Claims Job Offer At Christian School Was Rescinded Because He's Gay

An Ohio-based music teacher claims he was offered a job at a Christian school, only to have the offer rescinded hours later when he revealed to officials he was gay.

As Cincinnati.com is reporting, Jonathan Zeng says he'd accepted a position at Cincinnati's Armleder School, a division of the non-denominational Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, last week after several days of extensive interviews. But shortly after accepting the job, Zeng says school officials asked him if he was gay before citing a Cincinnati Hills policy against employing teachers who live as homosexuals because they would be around children and the school believes in the sanctity of marriage.

The 30-year-old Zeng, who has taught at schools and as an opera outreach worker for about five years, says a board member pointed out his answers to a series of religious questions on his application. "In those answers I talked about Christ's unconditional love and I talked about how we as followers of Christ, are ultimate goal is to show that love to everyone without judgment," he told WCPO.com.

According to reports, Zeng has since penned a letter of protest describing the conversation to the school’s board of trustees. "I was chosen because the hiring committee felt I was the best possible candidate for the position," he is quoted by Towleroad as writing in the letter. "This opportunity was taken away simply because of how I was created. My sexual orientation has no impact on my teaching abilities or the words that I would say."

Officials at Cincinnati Hills released a statement to local media, which reads as follows:

"CHCA keeps confidential all matters discussed within a candidate's interview. We're looking into this matter, although the initial information we have seen contains inaccuracies. We will not be discussing individual hiring decisions or interviews."

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