Catholic School Fires Lesbian Who Is 'Perfect Example of Living a Religious Life'
A Catholic elementary school educator in the Philadelphia area has been fired because she legally married another woman in 2007. This first-known firing case since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized marriage equality across the nation almost two weeks ago has an unusual religious exemption twist to it.
Margie Winters
Philly.com reported that Nell Stetser, the principal of Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion, a Philadelphia suburb, sent an email to the parents of schoolchildren saying that Margie Winters would not be coming back in September for a ninth year of directing religious education at the school. Though this is just being made public, the firing took place on June 22nd, before the Supreme Court’s decision.
According to an article on PhillyMag.com, the principal praised Winters’ professional abilities while explaining the decision to fire her:
“Like you, I truly value Margie and appreciate her amazing contributions to our religious education and outreach programs. Margie certainly has enriched the lives of everyone in the WMA family. As WMA’s principal, however, my duty is to protect our school’s future. In the Mercy spirit, many of us accept life choices that contradict current Church teachings, but to continue as a Catholic school, Waldron Mercy must comply with those teachings.”
The contradiction of only being able to “continue as a Catholic school” by firing someone who has made “amazing contributions to our religious education and outreach programs” and who “has enriched the lives of everyone” is glaring.
As has happened in other similar cases, what particularly stings about this case is that administrators knew of the marital relationship for a long time, but seem to have only taken action when public complaints have been raised. What kind of exemplary moral leadership are administrators exhibiting when they at first personally accept a person, but then turn against her when the pressure is put on them.
Winters described the understanding that she had with the school’s administrators:
“Winters said she and her wife ‘kept a really low profile’ about their relationship at the school.
” ‘I actually had a conversation with the principal a few weeks after I was hired to say, how should I handle this,’ said Winters, adding that she was advised that she could be open about her life with the faculty but to avoid discussing it with students’ parents.
“So that’s what I’ve done,” she said. “I’ve never been open. And that’s been hard.”
According to Winters, two parents who learned about her marriage complained, one to the school administrators and one to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. A spokesperson for the archdiocese has denied that the local hierarchy has been involved in the school’s firing decision.
According to Philly.com:
“Winters said she thought the school’s connection to the archdiocese played a role in that decision. The school, she said, worried that its ‘Catholic identity would be in jeopardy.’
“Stetser said in a statement that she could not discuss personnel matters.
” ‘The primary consideration that guided my decision-making process was to sustain the Catholic identity of Waldron Mercy Academy,’ Stetser said.”
What is amazing in this case, again, like in many others, is that “Catholic identity” seems only to come into play if a sexual matter is involved. Is Catholicism becoming a one-issue religion?
What may be unique about this case, however, is the possible lack of religious exemption protection. The local township has an anti-discrimination law which exempts religious institutions from it, except if they are “supported in whole or in part by government appropriations.”
Waldron Mercy Academy
State Sen. Daylin Leach, the local representative for the school’s district, said that according to the Waldron Mercy website, the institution has received more than $270,000 in two years from Pennsylvania’s Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit program. Additionally, 70 students since 2005 benefited from another state program, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit.
Leach told Philly.com that accepting so much state money might exclude the school from the religious exemption.
It will really be a shame for Catholicism if the only way to motivate schools to stop firing LGBT people is to legally and financially penalize them. Catholic schools should adhere to a higher moral standard of treating people with respect, fairness, and equality.
Not all involved in the school’s community accept this decision. Philly.com quoted a parent who is organizing a response to object to the firing, Nancy Houston stated that the school’s decision is
“not something we’re going to accept quietly.”
“Winters ‘makes kids love religion,’ Houston said. ‘She’s a perfect example of living a religious life.’
A Facebook page entitled “Stand With Margie” has been established for people to voice support for Winters.
And Winters herself hopes that there may be an important lesson to be learned from the publicity surrounding her firing:
“People of faith need to know what is happening in the name of their church.”
Though fired from her job, it seems that Winters is still teaching religious education.
–Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry
Catholics of conscience must speak out against these firings. Most Catholics do not want to be complicit with these horrific injustices. The hierarchy must change this. The firings do not follow Catholic teaching of treating LGBT people with dignity. There is a witch hunt mentality for church workers that must end.
I wonder how those that persecute really feel. Do they get this horrible feeling of disgusting joy when they catch and find someone they can attack. I am so sick of the so called righteous. This teacher was praised and then fired for doing something the Catholic church does not even recognize. Since when did the chruch come up with this new sin I hope that the parents of the school children rise up and demand this action be reversed.
Zacchaeus should have been ignored by Jesus according to the religious attitudes of his time, but he called the man out of his tree and invited himself to his home! Our so-called religious leaders are chopping down the trees and making them into caskets. One of these days we’ll let Jesus back into the church he supposedly founded. The “rock” was supposed to be a foundation not a hardened heart! The elder son in the parable of the Prodigal Father looks more like the model church people in power are following. Daddy keeps inviting them into the banquet of happy returns, but there’s so much resistance. The fiddlers seem to be falling off the roofs! Jesus meek and humble of heart, make OUR hearts like unto THINE.
I tend to agree with the catholic church turning into a one issue type of religion. The church will hire people involved in all sorts of non catholic approved behavior/actions, and yet because those people are straight its a non issue. Lgbt people are being singled out and becoming the scape goat of the church. There are so many people in the church complacent with this sort of treatment.
And even say its absolutely on par with church doctrine
Exactly! Is this any more wrong than hiring divorced and remarried Protestant teachers? Because last time I looked, that was a mortal sin too.
I was even thinking along the lines of adultery, premarital sex, sex addiction, strip clubs, prostitution, pedophilia, etc etc there seems to be less inspection, investigation, or even action on the part of the church when it comes to other sin, other sexual sin, or well just anything…..it seems to be blatantly ignored, covered up, forgiven, or not even an issue at all
I can’t tell you how sad I am today, Margie is a wonderful person, as an associate in Mercy, I am so very disappointed at the Sisters of Mercy for allowing this to happen, this goes so against their charism and the ideals of Catherine McAuley, their foundress. I am also a mother of 2 sons who are gay, who are loved and cherised by our family. Our church is losing so many wonderful young people due to this kind of actions, not to mention the bad example they are setting for their students. as i see i,t there is no Mercy or justice for Margie in this decision. Margie lost the job she loved and her income, however Waldron Mercy Academy is the real loser,
“to continue as a Catholic school…” Code for “the bishop told us to lose her or stop calling ourselves Catholic in his diocese.”
It is not enough to be sad for Margie. Because each time an LGBT worker is fired only because he/she is LGBT (and gets married, or does anything else a regular PERSON would do) then it hurts ALL Catholics. do we want these horrific injustices done in our names? If not, we must speak up loud and clear and never stop speaking up. We do not want to stand by silently and watch horrible things being done in the name of our beloved church. This is serious. Remember the holocaust, anyone????
I am saddened by this news. God bless this teacher, give her peace in her heart, and may she maintain a healthy sense of self-esteem in spite of having been fired on the basis of her sexuality. I have seen far too many tragedies result when people are not accepted for who they intrinsically are.