Indiana Supreme Court Okays Catholic School Firing of Gay Teacher
According to a recent ruling by an Indiana court, discrimination based on sexual orientation is permissible and, in fact, is alive and well in the state.
A Catholic school teacher at Cathedral High School was fired in 2019 by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis over his marriage to his husband.
The Indiana Supreme Court now upheld the decision, Indy Star reports.Using the doctrine of church autonomy under the First Amendment, the court ruled that the school was protected in firing Joshua Payne-Elliott.“Religious freedom protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution encompasses the right of religious institutions ‘to decide for themselves, free from state interference, matters of church government as well as those of faith and doctrine,’” the four participating justices ruled.
When Joshua Payne-Elliott was terminated from a Catholic school in June 2019, the archdiocese required all Catholic schools within its purview to enforce a morality clause prohibiting same-sex marriages, which led to his lawsuit alleging wrongful termination.
