Faith overruled.

• Author: Shackford, Scott
• Position: Illegal firing - Employment discrimination - Brief article

FONTBONNE ACADEMY in Milton, Massachusetts, exists to provide a private Catholic education to teenage girls. The Church's positions on social and political matters therefore influence its education and employment practices.

In 2012, Matthew Barrett found out the hard way just how seriously it takes those positions. Barrett had accepted a job as food services director for Fontbonne, but the school subsequently rescinded the offer. The reason? While filling out paperwork, Barrett gave the name of his husband as a contact for emergency situations, thus disclosing that he was gay and married to a man.

Barrett, represented by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, sued the school. Massachusetts has laws against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but private religious institutions and schools are typically exempt from these laws when they contradict church teachings. Fontbonne...