Indiana Court Tosses Lawsuit of Gay Teacher Fired by Catholic High School
An Indiana court has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis by a Catholichigh school teacher who was fired over his same-sex marriage.
The lawsuit was filed by Joshua Payne-Elliott, who had worked as a world language and social studies teacher at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis for 13 years. In 2019, the archdiocese threatened to strip the Catholic status of Cathedral and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, where Payne-Elliott’s same-sex partner worked, if the couple remained on their staff.
Cathedral promptly fired Payne-Elliott, but Brebeuf refused and, as a result, split with the archdiocese. Payne-Elliott sued after his dismissal, alleging the archdiocese interfered with his employment contract.
A banner for Cathedral High School in Indianapolis is seen in this 2018 file photo. An Indiana court dismissed a lawsuit from a teacher at the school May 7, 2021, who said he was fired because of his same-sex marriage. (CNS photo/John Shaughnessy, The Criterion) May 10, 2021 Catholic News Service INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana trial court May 7 dismissed the lawsuit of a former Catholic high school teacher in Indianapolis who said he was fired in 2019 because of his same-sex marriage. Joshua Payne-Elliott, who had been a world language and social studies teacher at Cathedral High School, claimed the Indianapolis Archdiocese illegally interfered with his job.