Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has let go a teacher for breach of contract. The teacher, Barbara Webb, had consented to Marian’s morality clause when she joined the school.  Marian’s morality code forbids teachers from publicly engaging in or endorsing “actions or beliefs directly contrary to the teachings and standards of the Roman Catholic faith and morality.” Plainly, homosexual acts — as distinct, perhaps, from orientation not acted-upon — violate that clause.

Marian learned that Miss Webb had contracted a so-called “marriage” with another woman in Ontario, where provincial law pretends such legal fictions are real and recognises them as a form of matrimony.  Marian also learned that Miss Webb was co-habiting with her friend; for what it’s worth, no federal judge has yet forced Michigan to pretend that the couplings of homosexuals can be “marriages,” so the two women are not considered legally “married” by Michigan, their state of residence and where Miss Webb was employed.  In addition, Marian learned that Miss Webb has become pregnant through unnatural means, another violation of Marian’s morality clause as no such thing is approved by the Catholic Church.

Accordingly Marian High School fired Miss Webb, as the school has every right to do.  Nevertheless, in a defensive cringe that unsurprisingly failed to appease pseudo-Catholic Cultural Marxists, Marian offered to cover Miss Webb’s medical expenses through May (through the current school-year, I should guess) — which would include paying for the unnatural pregnancy the school presumably disapproves of.  The aggrieved Miss Webb refused Marian’s misguided generosity and immediately started making as much noise as possible about the terrible “discrimination” she is suffering. I expect she will go to the courts. I expect she and her roomate will make quite a bit of money out of it.

And right on cue, Marian’s perfectly reasonable and entirely predictable firing of Miss Webb has drawn a fusillade of (mostly feminine) protest. In reading the linked article, what is most disturbing is the reactions of Marian alumnae, presumably women who have had a Catholic formation and education at a school with some Catholic principles.  After all, Marian did fire Miss Webb for breaching its morality code; how many “Catholic” schools today would simply pretend not to know upon learning one of their teachers had done what Miss Webb has.

Some quotes show the depth of American Catholicism’s problem:

“[The Catholics] always ask for donations and this could be a great opportunity for people to say I’m not going to donate until this issue is addressed. Let’s put them into action.”

— Maris Ballas Schultz, a 2001 Marian High School graduate in Chicago.

“Philanthropy has become important for Catholic schools, [withholding donations] is a way to enact change.”

— Hilary Levey Friedman, a 1998 Marian High School graduate.

“Barb and her partner are choosing to do things exactly the way the Catholic Church wants things done. They’re married, they’re in a loving relationship, they’re choosing to have a family together … and we should be supporting that, not punishing them. So I’m hoping Marian will see this support for change and re-think the entire morality clause in the contract.”

— Molly Doherty O’Shea Gallucci, a 1983 Marian High School graduate and 6-year member of Marian Board of Directors. (emphasis added)

An employee at the school who asked not to be identified because of fear of reprisal said staff members were told not to discuss Webb’s firing. “We’ve let Barb know that if it would help her, we would step down in support of her,” the staffer said. “We are willing to support Barb when she decides what avenue she would like to pursue. There was a letter going around all the students in support of Barb. We believe it is wrong.” (emphasis added; this lady and the one immediately above are Modernist termites avidly chomping at the foundations of Catholic formation)

Brigid Johnson, 17, a senior at Marian, said the teacher’s absence was not explained to students. Teachers have told students they are forbidden to speak about it, she said. She and other students joined in the demonstration Sunday, too, carrying signs and waving flags in solidarity. (emphasis added; a current victim of the two ladies quoted immediately above, and probably of Miss Webb as well)

Diana Callaghan from the class of 2002 at Marian isn’t surprised by the growing movement. “I’m impressed but not surprised,” Callaghan said. “The Marian community has fostered many women who are very strong-minded. If you look at the Facebook pages, people are writing some of the most beautiful messages of support. I don’t think this is new that our community is in support of diversity.”

“I’m just very confused about the school’s decision,” said Jane Bonanata, a Beverly Hills resident who graduated from Marian in 1979. “I don’t understand it because the IHM Sisters taught us deep faith, to have a courageous spirit and to stand up for social justice … to me, they should be leading the change here.”

So we have everybody from Marian alumnae going back to 1979 (and can one doubt there are many more, including older, alumnae who also support Miss Webb’s disgracing their school and the Church?) to current Marian trustees and employees, and also current students, who not only see nothing wrong in Miss Webb’s misconduct, but support her and celebrate it. And believe their school should cut all ties to Catholic Truth by jettisoning the morality clause altogether.  To me the most eye-popping statement is that of Mz.-Doherty-O’Shea-Gallucci, a director of a Catholic school.  With respect to the quality of Catholic oversight of “Catholic” education today, res ipsa loquitur.

Truly the Revolution is a marvel.  How did these women all come to think this way?  Miss Webb’s behavior is contrary equally to common sense and common morality, and with respect to her school dishonest as well.  One need not even be Catholic to know so. And not long ago no-one would have though pointing that out exceptional, but in post-Christian post-America no doubt I’m a “hater” for doing so.

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