When Cathedral High School fired a gay teacher last week over his same-sex marriage, it renewed a long-simmering debate about public money that goes to private schools in the form of taxpayer-funded scholarships.

The school, which has said it was forced by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to terminate the teacher or lose its status as a Catholic institution, has received more than $6 million from the state over the last six years through Indiana’s “choice scholarship” program.

Indiana began offering “choice scholarships” in 2011 to help low-income families afford a private education. It’s now the country’s largest such voucher program, directing more than $134 million to private schools last year.

Vouchers have been controversial since their inception, with critics saying they undermine the state’s public school system by siphoning students and money. In 2013, the state Supreme Court upheld the program as constitutional but that hasn’t stopped calls for reform.

“Again, we see a public institution engaged in an obvious act of discrimination because of sexual identity,” said Democratic Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, Indiana’s House minority leader, “but we do not have to sit by and watch this happen.

“I do not feel that the people of Indiana should be financially supporting discrimination against faculty, staff or students at any school.”

What's a school voucher?:Here's a primer

Last year, the case of a gay guidance counselor losing her job at Roncalli High School because of her same-sex marriage led to calls for anti-discrimination strings on voucher money.

Several lawmakers filed bills that would have required private schools that participate in the state’s voucher program to have non-discriminatory hiring practices in place. Those efforts failed, though.

Future attempts are likely to stall also. With a supermajority in both chambers of the Statehouse, Republicans can block any legislation they choose. As recently as last week, House Speaker Brian Bosma said he continues to support the voucher program, as is. At that time, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray declined to comment.

Supporters of the program in its current form argue that putting restrictions on the practices of participating schools would harm the “uniqueness” of those institutions, the vast majority of which are religious. Rep. Bob Behning, an Indianapolis Republican and sponsor of the voucher law, said the public dollars are awarded to parents who then choose which participating school they’d like to spend them for their child’s education.

“If parents have a problem, they won’t send their kids there,” Behning said.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is one of the largest benefactors of the program. The 67 schools under the purview of the archdiocese that participated last yearreceived close to $40 million from the state. If they made up a public school district, it would be in the top 50 for receiving state funds, out of about 300.

Of the more than 23,000 students served by Catholic schools within the Indianapolis archdiocese in 2018, about 8,600 of them received a voucher.

All Catholic schools within the Indianapolis archdiocese have been instructed to enforce contracts and ministerial job descriptions that all ministers must convey and be supportive of all teachings of the Catholic Church. It recognizes all teachers, guidance counselors and administrators as ministers.

The archdiocese began requiring all contracts to include the “morality clause” four years ago. It was extended to independent Catholic schools, like Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School and Cathedral, two years ago. Gina Fleming, superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese, said similar language was in place even before the current language was mandated.

That’s the language that led Cathedral to fire one of its teachers who is in a same-sex marriage. Brebeuf refused to fire a gay teacher in a same-sex marriage. The Indianapolis archdiocese is no longer recognizing Brebeuf as a Catholic school.

What it means:Brebeuf Jesuit is no longer part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Brebeuf has received more than $1.7 million in the last six years through the voucher program. Roncalli, where two gay guidance counselors have now filed discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, has received more than $8 million.

The issue has split the Catholic community in Indianapolis. While many parishioners are backing the church, others are outraged at what they see as a targeting of gay people. More than 200 Cathedral students and alumni protested in front of the archdiocese last week, urging Archbishop Charles C. Thompson to reconsider the prohibition of gay married people working in Catholic schools.

Thompson said he's not on a witch hunt for teachers in same-sex marriages, but has a responsibility to uphold church teachings and must act when violations are brought to his attention. The archdiocese was in talks over the issue for nearly two years with both Brebeuf and Cathedral before decisions were made.

Cardinal Ritter and Scecina Memorial, two other high schools within the archdiocese, are among the top voucher-receiving private schools in the state. Each has taken in more than $9 million since 2013. During that same period, schools within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis have received a total nearly $190 million.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at (317) 201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.