Supporters of a teacher fired from Bishop Watterson High School because she is gay are asking for a meeting with the Columbus Catholic Diocese. Groups called Halestorm Ohio and Pride at Work delivered a letter to bishop Fredrick Campbell yesterday asking him to meet publicly or privately to talk about workplace issues involving the LGBT community. Pride at Work President Glen Skeen.
Carla Hale was fired earlier this year after her partner's name appeared in her mother's obituary. The superintendent of the Diocese has refused to reinstate Hale, who has two weeks to decide whether she will seek binding arbitration or file a lawsuit. Hale has also filed a complaint with the Columbus Community Relations Commission. A city ordinance makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation. The groups are also planning to hold a panel discussion on June 26th about LGBT workers in faith-based organizations. The panel will include city and state officials and community members.