Skutt Catholic High School declined to renew the contract of teacher and speech coach Matt Eledge after he told them he was getting married to a man. He said school officials told him he’d have to end the relationship to keep his job.
Matt Eledge, center, with members of his speech team.
In March, Skutt Catholic High School speech coach Matt Eledge led his team to their fourth consecutive state championship. Pictures from the day show the group of students, from Nebraska, beaming and clutching a huge gold trophy with Eledge in the center.
But soon after those photos were taken, school officials told Eledge his contract would not be renewed for the following school year. The decision came after Eledge informed the school that he and his partner, Elliot, were planning on getting married.
Eledge told BuzzFeed News that he realized he could lose his job if he married another man – but he hoped the school, overseen by the Archdiocese of Omaha, would overlook it.
"I had a thought, maybe they will make this work out," he said.
But, according to Eledge, the school wouldn't budge.
Now, former and current students, parents, and other community members are rallying behind Eledge and petitioning the school to allow the beloved teacher to remain at the school.
"A living example of what it means to be a SkyHawk, Mr. Eledge has spent hundreds of hours striving to make sure that the students at Skutt have an incredible high school experience," an online petition reads. "He soars above the rest in accolades, talent, and character for Skutt Catholic."
The petition has nearly 68,000 signatures as of Tuesday.
Matt Eledge with his speech team.
"It's a job that I feel gives me joy and gives me meaning," he said.
But he was later told by the administration that if he wanted to return to the school, he would have to end his relationship with his partner.
Officials from Skutt told BuzzFeed News they could not comment on employment matters. However, the school defended its decision to not ask Eledge back in a letter to its school community.
"If a staff member cannot commit to Catholic Church teachings and doctrines, he or she cannot continue to be on staff at Skutt Catholic," the school president John F. McMahon said in the letter, which was reviewed by BuzzFeed News. "As a Catholic school we stand firmly with the Archdiocese of Omaha and our Catholic church in the support and upholding of the Church's teachings as they are defined."
Eledge said he was completely shocked by the request. But he was also surprised by the petition, started by former student Kacie Hughes.
No comments:
Post a Comment