It appears that LifeSite wants Catholic schools to knuckle under to secular State demands.
That's odd.
Backstory: a secular, independent, 'classics' school in Charlotte NC expelled some students after their parents complained--loudly--about DEI coursework and homosexual-themed library content. The parents sued the school.
The Diocese of Charlotte filed an amicus in the case which supported the school to preserve the rights of Catholic schools.
...“Although the Diocese agrees with Charlotte Latin that it had an enforceable contractual right to terminate Plaintiffs’ children’s enrollment when — in its sole discretion — Charlotte Latin determined that Plaintiffs had made a collaborative relationship impossible or had seriously interfered with its mission, the Diocese also presents this Court with an alternative argument, made by no existing party, that underscores the broader significance of this case for private religious schools across North Carolina and highlights First Amendment concerns that no party has addressed in depth,” wrote diocesan attorney Joshua Davey.
“The Diocese operates a network of Catholic schools that, like Charlotte Latin, require enrollment contracts expressly reserving the right to terminate enrollment when, among other reasons, parental conduct undermines the school’s mission,” added Davey. “These contractual provisions are essential tools that allow religious schools to carry out their faith-based educational missions while providing clarity and transparency to families who voluntarily choose to enroll.”...
This calls to mind typical Catholic school teacher contracts which have "morals" clauses; should the teacher violate Catholic morality standards, that teacher will be fired. The specifics in NC are not identical to 'teacher contracts', but the same overall legal framework is in play.
We will never be on Bp. Martin's "Friends" list at Facebook, and we know that there are many Catholic grade- and high schools which have questionable curriculum content. That explains the rise of non-parochial/non-Diocesean Catholic schools such as Chesterton Academy.
But conceding that a private school must accede to parental demands regardless of contractual language, thus placing the State in the judgment seat of 'right/wrong' instruction and staffing, is NOT proper. The First Amendment agrees.
LifeSite should, too.
1 comment:
The family failed to sufficiently allege a breach of contract because the plain and unambiguous language in the enrollment contracts, which state that ‘the School reserves the right to discontinue enrollment if it concludes that the actions of a parent/guardian make such a relationship impossible or seriously interfere with the School’s mission, allowing the school to terminate plaintiffs’ 2021 enrollment contracts at its discretion.
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