Archbishop Charles Thompson

After 57 years, the Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis is losing their designation as a Catholic school in the Archdoicese because the Board of Trustees are standing by a veteran teacher after Archbishop Charles Thompson ordered the school to fire him because he’s in a same-sex marriage. Thompson took over the archdiocese only a year ago.

In a letter to parents, the Board of Trustees noted the demands to fire the teacher were “unprecedented” and described the unnamed teacher as “highly capable and qualified.”

Specifically, Brebeuf Jesuit has respectfully declined the Archdiocese’s insistence and directive that we dismiss a highly capable and qualified teacher due to the teacher being a spouse within a civilly-recognized same-sex marriage. To our knowledge, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’ direct insertion into an employment matter of a school governed by a religious order is unprecedented; this is a unique action among the more than 80 Jesuit secondary/pre-secondary schools which operate in dioceses throughout North America, along with the countless Catholic schools operated by other religious orders such as the Christian Brothers, Dominicans, and Xaverian Brothers.

The board recognized the turmoil it would cause among the faculty.

What’s more, we also recognize the harm that adhering to this mandate would cause our highly capable and qualified teachers and staff. As an institution with a mission to develop men and women for others, our intent has been to do the right thing by the people we employ while preserving our authority as an independent, Catholic Jesuit school.

For what it is worth, I happen to have a family member who attended this Jesuit school and she is extremely proud of the school’s decision. Firing a respected teacher would’ve likely caused tremendous turmoil among current and former students as well.