Catholic school teachers leaving over morality clause
Parent protests in front of school. Online petitions circulating. And perhaps most concerning to the Oakland Catholic Diocese: Some donors are declining to contribute money to schools.
There is more fallout coming from our story last week about how Catholic school teachers must sign a new contract with the Diocese of Oakland pledging to conform to church teachings outside the workplace.
O’Dowd teacher Kathleen Purcell said that she crossed out what she felt was the objectionable language on her contract, then signed and submitted it. But it was rejected and the history teacher and career counselor won’t return. Purcell, a longtime civil rights and constitutional law attorney, said she couldn’t in good conscience sign the contract.
“It’s a loyalty oath and to sign that would go against everything I believe in,” Purcell said....