The hate and ignorance that are increasingly the principal hallmarks of conservative versions of Christianity - that's assuming, of course, one can even call such people Christians - took on a new level of nastiness at a "Christian" school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Teacher Sharon Wright ultimately was fired because of her gay son and her inability to "fix him." Moreover, the stress and hostility she experienced cause Wright severe emotional harm and depression which ended up necessitating a medical leave - which was likewise used as a justification for her firing. Wright has now filed a lawsuit against the school and it will be interesting to see where this goes in the courts. Here are highlights from Think Progress:
The Covenant Christian Academy in Harrisburg, PA believes that “the practice of same-sex relations is a sin and that promotion of such a lifestyle is a sin,” and they’re now using that belief to justify the firing of a teacher.
When Sharon Wright’s son announced on Facebook during his senior year (2009) at the school that he was gay, he was indefinitely suspended and not allowed to return to the school. This created an interesting dilemma for Wright, who was a teacher at the school. She continued to teach there despite her support for her son, but endured comments from school administrators like, “your son is broken, and it’s your job to fix him” and that this was a “battle for his soul.” The ongoing stress of the situation exacerbated her mental health diagnoses of “adjusted disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood” and impaired her “thinking, concentrating, interacting with others, and sleeping.”
Wright was not rehired for a full-time position for the following year. Now, she has filed suit in federal court claiming that she was discriminated against in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
No doubt, the academy’s anti-gay policy and its treatment of Wright’s son are odious. But now it seems the school is using that policy to justify discriminating against one of its teachers. Though the school did not accuse her of violating its tenants in her capacity as a teacher, she endured an environment so hostile that it impacted her mental well-being. Ultimately, the school used that as justification for her termination.
A copy of Wright's lawsuit can be found here. As author Anne Rice stated sometime ago, please do NOT call me a Christian - I want nothing to do with these horrible people.
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