St. Lucy’s Priory High School in Glendora, California allowed Ken Bencomo to teach as a homosexual for over a decade, but after he publicly 'married' another man, the school fired him. Students, led by homosexualists nationwide, are petitioning the school to end its hypocrisy and reinstate the teacher, given that Pope Francis said this week, "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord?"
For background, read Lesbian Methodist Fired from Ohio Catholic School
For further background, read about sexually immoral teachers who get fired from Christian schools, and also read about how their lawsuits against the school fail in court.
In addition, read how the Supreme Court had to teach President Obama a lesson on the constitutional right for churches to employ only people who share their faith.
-- From "Catholic school fires gay teacher after wedding" by The Associated Press 8/1/13
Officials were aware of Bencomo's sexual orientation for at least 10 of the 17 years he worked at the school, according to his lawyer Patrick McGarrigle.
The firing came days after photos of the wedding appeared in a local newspaper. Bencomo [45] and Christopher Persky, 32, were among the first gay couples to line up at the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder's Office to get married following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for same-sex marriages to resume in the nation's most populous state.
Students have known of Bencomo's sexual orientation for years . . .
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From "Gay teacher fired from Glendora Catholic school after wedding" by Stephen Ceasar, Los Angeles Times 8/1/13
School officials specifically mentioned the wedding and the publicity it received during a meeting at which Bencomo was informed that his contract would not be renewed for the upcoming school year, McGarrigle said.
On multiple occasions over the years, McGarrigle said, Bencomo has introduced Persky as his partner to administrators at school events.
In a statement released through an attorney, the school said it is “a community of faith for those who wish to express, practice and adhere to values in education based on the Roman Catholic tradition.”
“While the school does not discriminate against teachers or other school employees based on their private lifestyle choices, public displays of behavior that are directly contrary to church teachings are inconsistent with these values,” the statement reads. “These values are incorporated into the contractual obligations of each of our instructors and other employees.”
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From "Gay Teacher Fired From Catholic School Shortly After Marriage Ceremony" by Kathleen Miles, Huffington Post 8/1/13
Last week, St. Lucy's students started talking on social media about the absence of Bencomo from their fall schedules. When they suspected the teacher had been fired, former student Brittany Littleton, 23, started a petition on Change.org to get Bencomo re-hired. As of 11 a.m. PST on Thursday, the petition had over 8,500 signatures.
Students say that it was well-known on campus for years that Bencomo was in a committed relationship. Several staff members had met his partner, who he has been with for 10 years, Bencomo's lawyer said.
"It was known by 99 percent of the school that he was gay but it was never an issue in the past," Littleton said to HuffPost. "I think it's very hypocritical to be OK with someone and their relationship until they are open about it."
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles parish staff handbook states that an employee may be disciplined, including suspended or terminated, for "behavior counter to the moral teachings and standards of the church."
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Also read Catholic School Boots Boy with Lesbian 'Parents' as well as Gay-friendly Catholic School Criticized by Lesbian
