Catholic School Worker Fired for Supporting Gay Marriage
By ALYSSA NEWCOMB | Good Morning America – 19 hours ago- Good Morning America - Catholic School Worker Fired for Supporting Gay Marriage (ABC News)
An Ohio Catholic school administrator who was fired for supporting gay marriage on his personal blog says his faith is unshaken and he has no regrets for taking a stance on the issue.
"My point was I wish I had time to care who married each other but I don't," Mike Moroski, 34, told ABCNews.com.
On Monday, the 12-year teaching veteran was fired from his job as dean of student life at Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati for "public postings" that "directly contradict well-known teachings of the Catholic Church," according to a letter sent from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to students and parents.
Church officials said they would not comment on personnel issues but did provide ABCNews.com with the letter.
Moroski, who is married to a woman, said he posted a quote on Facebook from President Obama's inauguration speech supporting marriage equality. It sparked a public discussion with a friend who had an opposing view.
"My friend -- part of the reason I love him so much -- is we have extremely different views on a lot of things, even if we're both Catholic," he said.
When Moroski started a personal blog in late January, he used the discussion as an inspiration for a post titled "Choose Your Battles."
"I unabashedly believe that gay people SHOULD be allowed to marry. Ethically, morally and legally I believe this," Moroski wrote on Jan. 27. "Gay marriage is NOT something of which to be afraid."
The principal of Purcell Marian was made aware of the post of Jan. 31, and soon, Moroski said, word made its way to the archdiocese.
He said he was given an ultimatum.
"They said, 'You take it down, recant your statements and agree to publicly not disparage the archdiocese,'" he said.
In order to keep his job, Moroski would also have to create an "action plan" for himself detailing how he planned to live with morality, he said.
"I really, really believe in my conscience and the morals I've developed in my lifetime in the Catholic Church," he said. "I knew from the get-go I wasn't going to take [the post] down."
On Monday he received a phone call telling him he was terminated.
"I definitely never thought I would lose my job over something like this," Moroski said. "I have experienced God more in the past week than my entire life. I feel like I'm on the right track."
Moroski said he isn't sure what's in store for him next, but he said he already misses his students.
"Because of the stance I'm taking, I can't be with them, but I hope they know I'm doing it to reinforce what I've taught for 12 years," he said. "Be kind to everyone."
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