Benedictine University doesn't mind you being gay. Really. As long as you don't tell anyone.
Administrator Laine Tadlock, who was director of the education program at Benedictine, was forced from her job from the Catholic university in Springfield, Illinois after a local paper, The State Journal-Register, published her wedding announcement to her partner Kae Helstrom in Iowa. The university knew she was gay and about her out-of-state wedding. But apparently took issue with the announcement mentioning she worked at the university:
In a Sept. 30 letter to Tadlock's attorney, Benedictine President William Carroll wrote, "... By publicizing the marriage ceremony in which she participated in Iowa, she has significantly disregarded and flouted core religious beliefs which, as a Catholic institution, it is our mission to uphold."
That's right. Marrying her partner "flouted" the Catholic institution so much that she couldn't do her job anymore.
I wonder how many other legal weddings of employees disregard the "core religious beliefs" of the church. By this down-the-rabbit-hole logic, there must certainly be no one on staff that is divorced... or that *gasps* curses or takes the lord's name in vain in a public forum or on campus. That would flout the mission of the university, right?
This just boils down to plain anti-gay discrimination, even by the schools own admission:
So all it took was one anti-gay activist with no connection to the university to activate the Catholic Church's longtime bias against LGBT people and force Tadlock from her job, despite the University's own employee handbook statement on discrimination:Tadlock met that day with Carroll and Mike Bromberg, dean of academic affairs. Tadlock said Carroll told her he had consulted three Catholic bishops about the situation, including Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Springfield diocese. At least one person, Catholic activist Steve Brady of Petersburg, said he complained to Paprocki. He also wrote and sent e-mails to other church officials condemning Tadlock and Benedictine following the announcement's publication.
It is the university's policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, handicap, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any basis protected by law.
People wonder why we need things like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) or need protections to simply live our lives in a way equal to our heterosexual counterparts. All it took was one person complaining to get a longtime educator removed from her job for simply celebrating a special (and legal) occasion in her life like any other person would do.
Discrimination doesn't get more plain than that.
Follow Waymon Hudson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WaymonHudson
If you can't accept the Church's teaching the solution is simple--don't become a Catholic.
Whoops! Benedictine College shouldn't have gone against its employee handbook by firing a woman because of the wedding to her female partner.
A lot of Christians seem to forget that Jesus made a new covenant with God's people, based on universal love, peace, and acceptance, that supercedes every division and conflict that came before. Another major point of Jesus' life was that everyone must question the institutions around them and look within their own heart to find how a true lamb of God would act. This includes questioning Catholic dogma! The Church has made countless mistakes over the centuries, and this prejudice is another.
It's a cliché at this point, but really, what would Jesus do? I just can't see the son of God calling this woman into his office and saying, "I'm sorry, my child, but although I am happy that you have found love and I congratulate you on your wedding, your behavior is inconsistent with the values of this institution and we're going to have to let you go."
Frankly, I don't think a lot of Christians actually care about the bible, just so long as it backs up their own bigoted/racist/sexist core beliefs.
As is evident in the very story it is the Catholic Church who wants to silence the GLBT community, not the other way around.
We just don't want your bigotry legislated into unfair laws.
They wanted to get her out of a role where she wouldn't be in direct contact with students. As a CATHOLIC institution, that is their right.
People get forced into job choices all the time; "we're moving the accounting dept. to Olathe, KS. You can choose to transfer there...same duties/salary...or you'd have to find another job with another company".
The job she was offered was NOT scrubbing toilets or anything...and THE SALARY/BENEFITS WERE THE SAME!!!! Refusing to take it & run crying to the media was HER choice...a misguided, dangerous one that will hinder her career options for years. She might think she has legal options/opportunities...she does not.
Details:
"n a statement released Thursday, Benedictine officials said Tadlock effectively resigned Oct. 27 when she refused to be reassigned as director of accreditation, assessment and institutional effectiveness.
The bishop of Springfield, John Paprocki, was consulted before Tadlock was given the ultimatum to accept the new job or leave, officials said. He said the school “is to be commended for its fidelity to the truth in upholding the faith and morals as taught by the Catholic Church.” "
they wanted to get her IN to a role where she wouldn't be in direct contact with students.
And an additional comment;
I find it more than a bit offensive for someone who WALKED AWAY from a relatively high-paying job w/great benefits to run crying to the court 'o public opinion for sympathy.
I imagine there are tens-of-thousands of unemployed LGBT individuals who would be thrilled to be hired as "director of accreditation, assessment and institutional effectiveness" at a university....even a Catholic one.
http://www.newser.com/story/105144/wedding-announcement-costs-lesbian-her-job.html
Tadlock left the program Oct. 28. The university says Tadlock resigned. Tadlock says she didn’t.
http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1109354817/Newspaper-wedding-announcement-costs-gay-woman-her-job-at-Benedictine-University
According to documents Tadlock furnished to the newspaper, the university offered her an early retirement deal Aug. 27 under which she would have been paid one year’s salary, two-thirds of her salary the second year and one-third the third year. The offer also included a confidentiality clause prohibiting Tadlock from talking publicly about what had happened, as well as a waiver prohibiting her from filing suit against Benedictine.
http://www.queerty.com/benedictine-university-fired-laine-tadlock-not-for-being-a-lesbian-but-for-announcing-her-lesbian-wedding-20101110/#ixzz15DhGMuIu
Forcing someone to choose to retire, or to take a position that is not a match, ONLY when the announcement was published and not because of organizational changes has different overtones. It looks very much like a violation of the school's own policy.
NOW or Planned Parenthood can do the same if one of its members or employees came out as pro life
"It is the university's policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, handicap, veteran status, marital status, SEXUAL ORIENTATION or any basis protected by law."
And so NOTHING that she signed said that she couldn't get married to a member of the same sex, OR that she couldn't post it!
She was offered that option, she chose to decline it & not show up to work.