New Jersey Catholic teacher who criticized gay-rights advocates is reinstated after suspension

April 13, 2015

A New Jersey woman who was suspended from her teaching post at a Catholic school because of Facebook posts criticizing homosexual activists has been reinstated.

Patricia Jannuzzi will return to the classroom at Immaculata school, after deactivating her Facebook page. Her suspension had triggered widespread protests from Catholic activists, many of whom had contributed to a fund to offset the loss of her income. The Jannuzzi family has announced that all contributions will be returned to the donors.

Msgr. Seamus Brennan, the pastor of the parish in which Immaculata located, said that Jannuzzi had been reinstated because of her “otherwise good reputation as an educator over her 30 years.” A letter to parents and other members of the school community assured that teachers were expected to avoid statements that would upset homosexual students.

Although supporters of Jannuzzi hailed her reinstatement as a victory, the school’s response supported the charge that her Facebook statements—which, while not well organized, had argued the case for traditional marriage, opposing gay-rights advocates but not disparaging homosexuals --had been inherently offensive.

 

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Further information:

• Catholic school teacher returns after anti-gay post (USA Today)
• New Jersey parochial school suspends teacher for Facebook post against homosexuality (CWN, 3/16)