In an interview on Monday, Fitzgerald explained to WTHR that her private life was made public when someone sent her 2014 marriage license to a school administrator. Said administrator then sent the license to the archbishop of Indianapolis and the superintendent.
In the immediate aftermath of the document being leaked, Fitzgerald said she was given a simple ultimatum: “Dissolve” her marriage or resign.
“I have no intention of resigning, I have no intention of being quiet, and I didn’t need the counsel that they were offering from the priest,” she said to WTHR.
As for Roncalli High School, they took to social media to post an update on the situation:
“Catholic schools are ministries of the Catholic Church, and teachers, school guidance counselors and administrators are vital ministers in sharing the mission of the Church. They are expected to be role models and are expressly charged with leading students toward Christian maturity and with teaching the Word of God,” the statement reads.
“As role models for students, the personal conduct of every teacher, guidance counselor and administrator and staff member, both at school and away from school, must convey and be supportive of the teachings of the Catholic Church. These teachings include, but are not limited to… the belief that all persons are called to respect human sexuality and its expression in the Sacrament of Marriage between a man and a woman as a sign of God’s love and fidelity to His Church.”
The secret
Fitzgerald says that she kept her personal life private for the duration of her time with the school, because she knew she risked losing her job as a result of the marriage.
Yet, in the face of adversity, there’s been a fantastic show of support. As of Tuesday afternoon (August 14, 2018), a Facebook page set up to defend Fitzgerald has garnered almost 3,000 members, many claiming to be students and alumni of the school itself.
“My goal, my intent is just to be a catalyst for change,” Fitzgerald says.
Personally, I stand fully behind Fitzgerald’s right to love who she wishes in this day and age. The fact that the school risk losing her simply because she’s married to a woman is unacceptable in modern society, though we’d love to hear your views. Leave comments in the box provided.
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