SEATTLE — A Catholic school in a Seattle suburb says it won’t rehire gay Vice-Principal Mark Zmuda, who was forced out in December after his same-sex marriage.
Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, Wash., issued a statement after a meeting Thursday night with parents that said Zmuda was aware of Catholic doctrine and that he was not in full compliance with his employment agreement.
KIRO Radio reports the school also said it will remain a Catholic school and support the teachings of the Catholic Church.
“When Mr. Zmuda married his same-sex partner, the school administration was left with no acceptable alternative that would allow him to remain eligible for employment at Eastside Catholic School,” the school said in a letter to parents.
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Earlier in the week, the school’s president, Sister Mary Tracy, resigned after student protests and petitions with tens of thousands of names asking for Zmuda to be reinstated.
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“The recent personnel decision by the board and administrators of Eastside Catholic regarding Mr. Zmuda was made after a great deal of prayer and consultation,”
Catholic Archbishop J. Peter Sartain said ealier this month that the decision to terminate Zmuda “was made after a great deal of prayer and consultation,”
The private school has about 900 mostly high-school-age students.
