When the mother of 57-year-old P.E. teacher Carla Hale passed away, she and her brother wrote an obituary for their mom, and in it Hale named her long-time partner, Julie.
When she returned to work at Bishop Watterson Catholic High School in Columbus, Ohio, following the funeral, school administrators presented Hale with a copy of the obituary and an anonymous letter from a parent, calling the presence of a gay teacher in the school a disgrace.
Hale was fired less than two weeks later. She was told that she had violated what is known as Diocesan Policy 45116.1, which states that Catholic school personnel are expected to be examples of moral behavior, and her spousal relationship violates the moral laws.
Dear Diocese of Columbus, Ohio,
Carla Hale was a valued teacher at Bishop Watterson High School. When her mother passed away, she and her brother wrote an obituary for their mom, and in it Hale named her long-time partner, Julie.
When she returned to work, following the funeral, school administrators presented Hale with a copy of the obituary and an anonymous letter from a parent, calling the presence of a gay teacher in the school a disgrace.
Hale was fired less than two weeks later. She was told that she had violated what is known as Diocesan Policy 45116.1, which states that Catholic school personnel are expected to be examples of moral behavior, and her spousal relationship violates the moral laws.
Please reconsider your decision and reinstate Carla Hale, a teacher beloved by many students, to Bishop Watterson High School, and apologize to her for this blatant discrimination.
