The Diocese Of Lafayette Adds Morality Clause To Teacher’s Contracts

The Diocese of Lafayette has added a morality clause to the contracts of it's teachers and it forbids anyone to teach within the diocese that is either gay, uses birth control, or was not married within the church.

KATC-TV 3 broke this story yesterday, Wednesday, and it has many within the community talking because one teacher, who is admittedly gay, will not be allowed to return to her job next year. Jane Riviere, a teacher at Our Lady of Fatima School in Lafayette, will not return to the school next school year because she has refused to sign the new contract and she says that she will not adhere to the new clause in her contract.

Riviere tells KATC,  "Fatima School did not ask me to leave. It was because I could not sign my contract and be honest to its content. The leadership was very respectful, compassionate and understanding during this process."

If you're asking yourself what the diocese's explanation is for the new clause, well let's just say this, you are out luck. The Diocese of Lafayette declined to comment on the clause and declined to offer up an explanations as to why it was put in place.

The question at hand now is this, is it illegal to not hire someone in the state of Louisiana because of their sexual orientation. A LSU Law Professor told KATC that that the state of Louisiana's employment discrimination law covers all the grounds covered by Federal law, and a few others, but not sexual orientation.

We ask you, do you think that this clause in the teacher's contract is fair? In your opinion, is the Diocese of Lafayette discriminating against those who live a gay lifestyle and those who elect to not get married in the church, or it is the Diocese's right to issue such a morality clause amongst those it employs? Comment in the section below.

For more on this story visit KATC-TV 3