Can a religious school fire a gay teacher?
Lynn Starkey worked at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. In May, however, the Roman Catholic school fired Starkey as a guidance counselor after officials discovered that she is married to a woman. In July, Starkey, 63, sued the school and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, claiming, in part, that they discriminated against her on the basis of her sexual orientation. In May, the school's principal notified Starkey, who has been married to her spouse since 2015, that her contract would not be renewed, stating in a letter that civil unions are in violation of her contract and “contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church.” The archdiocese — which is also being sued by a gay teacher who was recently fired from a different Catholic school in Indianapolis — claims that it has a “constitutional right to hire leaders who support the schools’ religious mission.” "Catholic schools exist to communicate the Catholic faith to the next generation," the archdiocese sa