Witch Professor Sues Catholic College for Religious Discrimination

[mdgspencer]

Wiccan Professor Sues St. Bonaventure University, a Catholic School, for Religious Discrimination

Hoffman said she has been a practicing Wiccan “outright” for about 20 years. Wiccans are witches.

 

[joyfulandactive]

If the Catholic college employed her knowing full well that she was a practicing Wiccan, then there lies the problem.

 

[CTBcin]

If the Catholic college employed her knowing full well that she was a practicing Wiccan, then there lies the problem.

Very true. But to the university’s credit, at least they didn’t back down when push came to shove about upholding their Catholic values.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

It looks more like a power struggle than the school being genuine about its religious beliefs. Their inconsistency with how they choose to uphold It ends up pleasing no one.

 

[joyfulandactive]

But unfortunately I don’t think they have handled this well or with charity. If they did indeed know she was a practicing Wiccan at the time of her employment they can hardly criticize her for talking about it. I believe her right to express her faith is protected by the constitution.

The problem lies within the school not employing a practicing Catholic whose beliefs and practice was in line with their theology (I hope that would be orthodox Catholic beliefs and practice). It is bizarre to expect someone of a completely different faith not to talk about their faith. At least the professor had integrity, if her version of events is correct and her beliefs were known by the school at the time she took the job. She was only honestly expressing her beliefs.

It seems the leaders of the college are the ones who did not have a coherent policy. If they want professors to share Catholic faith and beliefs then they need to employ faithful Catholics.

 

[dochawk]

Wiccans are witches.

No, they’re not.

They’re a Neo-pagan group who spun their stuff out of whole cloth about a century and a half ago, and chose the name to sound like “witch”.

The “witches” which Church and society have been concerned over the millennia have nothing in common with wiccans. (leaving aside whether or not they exist)>

 

[meltzerboy2]

It depends on the contents of the contract that the professor signed. I work at a Catholic university, although Jewish; but I must sign a contract that requires me to support the mission of the University, which is specifically described. If she signed a contract with such wording, then her Wiccan beliefs and particularly her advertising those beliefs, may be viewed by her employer, rightly or wrongly, as contrary to the mission of the University. It all depends on the wording of the contract, as well as what she actually did to offend the University’s religious or moral beliefs or values.