{"id":49197,"date":"2017-01-13T12:23:20","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/nc-gay-man-sues-catholic-school-for-firing-him-after-he-announced-his-wedding\/"},"modified":"2017-01-13T12:23:20","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:23:20","slug":"nc-gay-man-sues-catholic-school-for-firing-him-after-he-announced-his-wedding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/nc-gay-man-sues-catholic-school-for-firing-him-after-he-announced-his-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"NC Gay Man Sues Catholic School For Firing Him After He Announced His Wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

NC Gay Man Sues Catholic School For Firing Him After He Announced His Wedding<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Lonnie<\/a><\/p>\n

A gay<\/a> teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina is suing a Catholic school for unfair dismissal after he announced his impending marriage to another man<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the lawsuit, Charlotte Catholic High School violated federal employment law by firing Lonnie Billard<\/a> (above left, with his partner Rich) in 2014 after a Facebook post about his wedding.<\/p>\n

Last year,\u00a0diocese spokesman<\/a> David Hains said Billard was not fired for being gay<\/a> but for violating an employment contract that prohibited him from opposing church teaching.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Schools Fires Gay Teacher After He Applies For Marriage License<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n

Crux<\/a> reports:<\/p>\n

He posted about his upcoming wedding in October 2014, and was informed by an assistant principal several weeks later that he no longer had a job with the school.<\/p>\n

Not long after that, local diocese spokesman David Hains publicly stated that Billard was let go for \u201cgoing on Facebook, entering into a same-sex<\/a> relationship, and saying it in a very public way that he does not agree with the teachings of the Catholic Church,\u201d according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

Hains said Wednesday that officials from the diocese hadn\u2019t seen the lawsuit and typically don\u2019t comment on pending litigation.<\/p>\n

Billard\u2019s lawyers argue the firing violates prohibitions against sex<\/a> discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Billard said: \u201cI know that the Catholic Church opposes same-sex<\/a> marriage, but I don\u2019t think my commitment to my husband has any bearing on my work in the classroom. I have never hidden the fact that I\u2019m gay<\/a> and my relationship with my partner was no secret at school.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post NC Gay Man Sues Catholic School For Firing Him After He Announced His Wedding<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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NC Gay Man Sues Catholic School For Firing Him After He Announced His Wedding<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n