South Carolina, USA: Teacher at Catholic high school fired for pro-abortion posts on Facebook, lawsuit claims

[HomeschoolDad]

I don’t see an issue here. The teacher signed a contract agreeing not to engage in a certain action. What if, for instance, it were a business that had a contract stating that the employee is not to criticize the company in public, nor to post anything derogatory to the company’s interest on a social media website? Or agreeing not to promote the products of competitors publicly? Can a person not sign such an agreement? In so doing, they are agreeing not to speak or write in a certain manner.

I don’t think it’s either morality or best business practice, neither one. It seems to me that it is a case of signing a contract and not living up to it. Let’s say you went to work for Krispy Kreme Donuts and signed a contract not to speak negatively about KK in public, nor to promote a competitor. Then you go online and say “Krispy Kreme Donuts are bad for you and aggravate diabetes. Dunkin Donuts are much better and healthier for you”. Corporate finds out. You’ve violated the contract.

In the case of the Church, the “product” is Catholic doctrine. The Church is ensuring that its “product” is well-received in the “spiritual marketplace”, if you will. The teacher publishes comments that undermine that doctrine. How difficult is that?

Why does a non-Catholic or anti-Catholic even want access to young Catholic minds?

Many non-Catholic teachers are at Catholic schools simply because that’s where the job is. Catholic schools in most places probably don’t pay as much as public schools, and opportunity for advancement is less. The teacher in search of a job takes what is available. Likewise, Catholic schools don’t have the luxury of attracting the best teachers in each and every instance. They, too, take what they can get, from those who are willing to work for that kind of salary. And sadly, in some areas there simply aren’t enough Catholic teachers to staff the school fully.

I have a hard time believing that anyone tries to work at a Catholic school with the purpose of undermining the faith of Catholics. Theoretically possible, but they would be found out in short order. It would be pointless.

 

[Divine3]

This type of forum is just a catalyst. If I wanted factual knowledge regarding the Catholic faith I would never ONLY get it from a forum of unknown people or people I most likely will never meet. (But who knows, maybe in God’s mercy, we will all meet in heaven, now that’s a forum worth joining) Relationships are vital and that is how God even relates to us. A person would go to classes, study , meet with a priest, deacon or someone who is knowledgeable regarding the faith and is a faithful, practicing Catholic.
The internet is just a stepping stone, " Yet we also need to be aware that the virtual world will never be able to replace the real world, and evangelization will be able to make use of the virtual world offered by new media in order to create meaningful relationships only if it is able to offer the personal contact which remains indispensable." Page 165, verbum domini post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Holy Father Benedict XVI

 

[phil19034]

dochawk:

Her lawyer’s law license needs to be pulled.

The first amendment absolutely, categorically, does not apply to private restrictions on speech. Full stop.

It may violate a contract, or some state law, but it is not even possible for a religious organization to dilate First Amendment rights. In fact, the establishment clause prevents it from gaining the stat authority to do so . . .

hawk, esq.

There’s no doubt that she has broken her contract. But the contract itself seems to restrict her first ammendments rights:

‘he or she will at all times publicly speak and act in accordance with the mission and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as set forth in Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church’.

It restricts her to aligning all her comments with Catholic teachings and scripture at all times and in all circumstances. If she mentioned at a dinner party that she was in favour of contraception, then she would be liable to have her position terminated.

The first admendent doesn’t protect your freedom of speech within the context of a religion. It only protects you from the government.

Since a Catholic School is not the govt, the teacher is not protected by First Amendment. Actually, the Catholic School is protected by the First Amendment and able to fire her

 

[HollowMan]

Well, yeah. That much should have been obvious to her. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

My Facebook page identifies me as a teacher in our district. I have to be VERY careful about what I post on Facebook. I don’t think I post anything offensive, but this is 2019, where anything can be offensive for any reason.

Just this morning, I wrote a very long and, if I may say so, myself, very eloquent post about Nathan Bedford Forrest. It certainly wasn’t pro-Ku Klux Klan. It was just “the rest of the story”, as Paul Harvey would say, about how Forrest, one of the founding fathers of the Ku Klux Klan, later tried to disband the Klan after realizing that it had changed from a fraternal organization to fight against Reconstruction to a white supremacist organization, and how his views on race had softened considerably toward the end of his life, even to the point of him arguing for the integration of some universities.

But I ended up taking it down because even though I felt it made no excuses and certainly did not approve of the darker elements of his history, this is 2019 and dissenting opinions can often be weaponized against you. And I just don’t need that on my record.

It’s a shame, not only because most people don’t know this about Forrest, but because it stifles free speech and thoughtful conversations.

But back to the teacher in the story, although I strongly disagree with her, I’ll defend her right to post pro-abortion messages on Facebook. Unfortunately for her, I also support the school’s right to fire somebody who doesn’t hold to their values.

 

[CoffeeFanatic]

Sorry. I have no sympathy for her on this. I taught in the public schools for years and we were always warned that what we posted on social media could potentially cost us our jobs. This is all on her.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Most teacher contracts for teachers in Catholic schools include a “morality clause” that says the teacher must always conduct his/herself in a manner consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church; even during your off hours or in your private life and even if the teacher is not Catholic. This can include anything like having a child out of wedlock, co-habitating with your Significant Other, engaging in homosexual practices etc. I recall reading a story once about a teacher participating in a Wet T-Shirt contest while vacationing in Mexico over her summer break and she got back home her contract was not renewed for the new school year.

Being a pro-abortion activist would certainly violate a morality clause as would dispensing birth-control pills/condoms to teenagers and the like.

I don’t know what specifically is written in this teacher’s contract but if she violated the terms of that contract well tough noogies.

 

[adamhovey1988]

If you post it on the internet, it’s there for everyone to see. I am from South Carolina, and I don’t have a problem with her being fired. If you are going to teach at a Catholic school, you can’t just uphold Catholic values at work.