Student Pens ‘Conscience’ Letter To Catholic School That Denied Job To Openly Gay Teacher

A Catholic school student sent an awesome and wise letter to administrators of another Catholic school that chose to renege on a job offer to an openly-gay man. 

This week students at a West Des Moines, Iowa Catholic high school made headlines for protesting their administration’s decision to rescind a full time job offer to one of their a substitute teachers because he is openly gay. The administration told local news reporters that the issue wasn’t that he is gay, but that he is openly gay, and had announced his wedding engagement on Facebook.

A reported two hundred students on Wednesday walked out of their classes, in a light rain, to offer support to Tyler McCubbin, their Dowling Catholic High School substitute teacher and volunteer coach – and to each other.

This news has not gone unnoticed. It’s become both a national and international story, and one young Catholic school student, not from Dowling, wrote the administration a letter to share his concerns and upset. His wisdom should not go unnoticed.

To protect the youth’s privacy, we have agreed to not publish his name or school. Minor edits have been made to the letter to protect his privacy.

Here’s the text of his letter:

Dear Administration and Diocesan Leaders:

It has come to my attention that you recently have dismissed Tyler McCubbin, a long term substitute, due to his sexual orientation going against the Catholic faith. I will give you a glimpse of who I am. I am a Catholic thirteen year old and am currently an eighth grade student. I have planned several prayer services and prayer events and am I am in the choir at school and parish masses. I am very involved in my school, parish, and personal life. I actively serve in my community and have gone on one service trip and am going again this summer. I am also attending NCYC [National Catholic Youth Conference] this November. As you can tell I am very strong leader and follower in my Catholic faith. Not to mention I was the nominee from my school to receive the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, which is given to one student from every local middle and high school in my area for outstanding service, leadership, and academic integrity.

I cannot even start to comprehend how you could dismiss (from what I understand from background knowledge and media) an excellent teacher and friend of some of the students, based off his sexual orientation in his own personal life. I fully support each and every one of the protesters that were brave enough to stand up for what is morally right. “We are not the gatekeepers to God’s kingdom” “W.W.J.D” “Who am I to judge” You should really all think long and hard about those quotes. Did Mr. McCubbin ever speak about his sexual orientation at school? From my understanding the answer is no. How is this any different from a Protestant working in your school system? If you find out they don’t follow Catholic ways and beliefs on their personal time you wouldn’t fire them. Do you honestly think that Tyler was influencing students in any non-Catholic way? You are being hypocrites and an awful example for Catholics everywhere. You are not accepting other people’s beliefs. The last time I checked, the church’s motto was to accept and love everyone. This man was doing no wrong. My prayers and intentions are with the protesters, Tyler, and his future husband. You may want to think a little longer and harder next time so you don’t make another irrational decision. Does this truly agree with your conscience?

 

Image by Celia Flesher‎ via Facebook