Shine OnLesbian Catholic school teacher fired after being outed in her mother’s obituary
Cara Hale, who's been a teacher at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, Ohio for 19 years, was in absolute shock when she found out she was being fired because a newspaper obituary for her mother incidentally outed her has gay by mentioning her lover and partner, Julie.
"I didn't really have a response. I was in shock," she tells The Columbus Dispatch about her response to reading her termination letter.
“If not for an obituary that appeared in the paper, none of this would be happening,” she says in the above video, her voice cracking.
Even though Hale, 57, had taught at Bishop Watterson for 19 years, she believes that students didn't know she was gay.
"I'm a very private person. The kids realize I'm there if they need me, but I would never talk about anything like that."
The school had received an anonymous complaint from a member of the community who after reading the obituary was appalled that Hale, a lesbian, was teaching at their school.
Also see: Community gardening keeps you slimmer than your neighbour, study says
When students found out about the firing they started a Change.org petition to keep her at the school. As of Friday morning, the petition had 18,153 signatures.
“It’s amazing that they’ve come together and rallied around this situation,” Hale tells The Columbus Dispatch. “I’m in awe of them.”
The petition was started by student Jackson Garrity who says Hale was his cross county coach and physical education teacher.
"I started the petition because Ms. Hale was one of the favorite teachers at Watterson, not only one of my favorites, but also many other students," Garrity tells the Huffington Post.
"When news of her dismissal got out, many students were upset, especially because of the reason for her dismissal. We all wanted to let our opinions get out and tell the diocese that we were upset with the decision," he continues.
According to the The Columbus Dispatch, Hale's firing may be illegal.
Also see: Why famous people die earlier than the rest of us
"A Columbus city ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on sexual orientation. City law also states that an employer cannot have a policy that discriminates based on sexual orientation. Those who are found guilty could face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine," says the paper.
Hale and her lawyer, Thomas Tootle, have filed a grievance against the Catholic church based on terms of the contract.
Tootle suggests that federal law should protect people in Hale's situation.
“If you are at risk of being terminated at any time and for any reason, including your orientation, would you come out, especially when you’re working for the Catholic Church?” he says.
Meanwhile, Hale points out the hypocritical nature of her firing by suggesting that Catholic Church could also fire teachers who in other ways don't follow church rules -- unmarried straight couples living together, divorced teachers, or teachers using birth control.
“If we really want to open up that door ... where do you start and finish if you’re talking about immoral behavior within the Catholic Church?” Hale asks.
The is not the first time a Catholic teacher has been fired for being gay or supporting gay rights in Ohio. An assistant principal, Mike Moroski, was fired in February for making comments in support of gay marriage on his personal blog.
