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Catholic high school adopts protections for LGB employees after refusing job to lesbian
A Catholic high school has adopted a policy that protects LGB employees from discrimination after facing backlash for rescinding a job offer to a lesbian for her sexuality.
St Mary’s Academy in Portland, Oregon had offered a counsellor position to Lauren Brown in April this year (2015), but withdrew it after she came out to school officials.
According to documents obtained by local newspaper Willamette Week, the school offered Brown a year’s salary to stay silent on the matter, which she refused.
Speaking to WWeek, Brown said: ‘To sign a contract that’s going to affect the rest of my life, and my passion for advocating for LGBT youth and LGBT people – there’s no way I could sign that.’
The discrimination faced by Brown, combined with the school’s attempt to silence her, angered students and donors, who always believed their school was accepting.
Jade Osilla, an alumni of the school, told Huffington Post: ‘St. Mary’s Academy was or is an incredibly progressive place for being a Catholic school.
‘People always seem to think that Catholic schools are about nuns and uniforms and rigidity. But social justice and equality were part of the soul of the high school, and I think I can say that every girl who has left that high school has kept that in mind. So when we saw this happen it sent up a lot of red flags for all of us.
‘We were sad, angry, hurt, and betrayed.’
Following the backlash, the school, which previously ran with ‘free to be me’ as a recruitment slogan, decided to add sexual orientation to its equal employment opportunity policy.
In an open letter, school president Christina Friedhoff said: ‘St. Mary’s is a diverse community that welcomes and includes gay and lesbian students, faculty, alumnae, parents and friends, including those that are married.
‘We are proud of our work preparing the next generation of women leaders for service and leadership. We are still deeply committed to our Catholic identity.’
Although they have now adopted the new policy, the school has not offered Brown her old position, as they have since hired someone else. However, the school are in talks with Brown’s attorney to discuss ‘reconciliation’.
Brown feels positive about the the outcome, despite missing out on working with the students of St Mary’s Academy.
In a written statement, she said: ‘No one can erase the past, and the last month of my life has been very difficult.
‘The St. Mary’s community is a safe, loving environment for students, and I am humbled that those students took such a strong stand for me. I only wish the administration’s change in heart had happened a month ago so I could be working with these inspirational students this year.
‘Nonetheless, I am glad to know that what I experienced will never happen again at St. Mary’s, and I am overjoyed that the current LGBT staff members can now feel secure knowing they can be out at work.’
The post Catholic high school adopts protections for LGB employees after refusing job to lesbian appeared first on Gay Star News.
Ashlee Kelly
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