Las Vegas Catholic school fires gay teacher over MySpace page
 

LAS VEGAS -- As a Bishop Gorman High School teacher for six years, Jeff Crouse relished imparting knowledge to young minds.

With his doctorate in film and television studies from the University of Warwick in England, Crouse handpicked cream-of-the-crop seniors to take his college-level classes in philosophy and film studies.

He was active outside the classroom, too _ challenging students through a Philosophy Society Club and heading the school's chapter of Amnesty International.

A former seminarian, Crouse, 45, said he appreciated the Catholic culture at Bishop Gorman because of the freedom it allowed him to develop his classes and to teach from a religious perspective.

But he discovered Bishop Gorman's absolute intolerance on some matters when he promoted himself on the popular Web site MySpace.com, where he detailed his taste in music, movies _ and men.

It somehow came to the attention of school administrators. Within a week, he was fired.

Crouse said he was called into the principal's office May 12 and told he was being terminated, per his contract, for "maintaining, by word or action, a position contrary to the ordinary teaching of the Catholic Church."

According to Crouse, when he asked what the infraction was, officials showed him material from his MySpace page, but wouldn't elaborate.

Las Vegas Diocese and school officials declined to comment on Crouse's case, citing personnel confidentiality.

Crouse would not discuss whether he regretted posting his personal profile on the Web site, or whether he plans to fight his termination.

He has found himself in the same lot as other Catholic teachers across the country who have been fired for espousing beliefs or acting contrary to church teachings.

Violating church doctrine is grounds for immediate dismissal, according to a contract all Bishop Gorman teachers sign.

Crouse wrote on his Web site that he was gay and looking for "straight-acting single men." The church teaches that same-sex relations are a sin.

Continued...http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cf...ACHER-05-24-06

I think that is messed up. He has the right to be what he wants to be as long as he doesn't bring it into the school and from what they said he never did. I would fight it. What do you think?

pretty typical.... sadly

they would rather have a corrupt and bad, useless straight teacher than a gay one who postively influences the students and doesn't even publicly mention his or her homosexuality!

FUCKED UP

He's gonna be rich

this will set an interesting precedent if he fights it.

the question is basically, can a willingly-entered contract between 2 people override constitutional rights (this is discrimination)

he doesn't have the right to be anything he wants to be and be catholic. his responsibility is to represent a religion, the teachings of that religion, the catholic church and to conduct himself in a manner consistent with the teachings of that religion.

You'd have a good debate if this was a public school, but this school had every right to fire him. Private schools, religious or not, are a business and they have to keep their customers happy. Something tells me a number of parents would have been upset.

Turn it around for a moment. Imagine a private school for gay boys that marketed an all-gay staff of teachers. Now suppose it was found out that one teacher was actually straight. Would the gay school have the right to fire him?

Their rules, he violated the contract. He loses.

in massachusettss employers can't discriminate based on sexual prefrence, (listed right next to gender, disability, ethnicity etc...)

probobly not so there

He sounds smart enough to know it would come to this.

So what's up? Attention, make a point, lawsuit ... :2 cents:

why would he ever want to work for a company that preaches against his lifestyle and comdemns him to hell is beyond me.

thats like me being a narcotics officer.

Too bad.

Seemed to be a smart guy. What ignorant idiots.

Yup.

8char

This shit is kinda funny :D

He knew what the Catholic beliefs and rules are. He took a risk putting himself out there, and now he is paying for it. Gay, strait, I could care less, but catholics do, and it's their right to enforce thier beliefs and rules...

It is interesting the amount of gay people that embrance the Catholic religion.