Teachers Required to Sign Contract Forbidding Same-Sex Relationships

The Calgary Catholic School District is under scrutiny after it became public that they require teachers to sign a contract that suggests same-sex relationships are grounds for being fired.

The Alberta Human Rights Commission was notified about the requirements by a teacher at one of the schools, and it was confirmed by school officials. This document contains “Catholocity clauses” that “require teachers to uphold Catholic values, which include engaging only in relationships deemed appropriate by the church,” reports the Calgary Herald.

The superintendent of human resources for the district, Richard Svoboda, clarified that “relationships that would be acceptable are those recognized by the Catholic Church, that have to be acknowledged by a Catholic priest,” and “that would not include a same-sex relationship or a common-law relationship.”

To be clear, despite the word “Catholic” being in the school district title, and their decision to require absurd religious “purities” for their staff, the Calgary Catholic School District is a public school system funded by taxpayers, not by the church.

Alberta’s Education Minister, David Eggen, spoke out against the claims on Thursday:

“I was deeply concerned to learn that any school board was making their employees sign a document that says it is not OK to be gay. That’s simply not acceptable in today’s Alberta. Our government firmly believes that LGBTQ rights are human rights — we will not condone discrimination against people on the basis of who they love.”

Currently, the CCSD has insisted it is “obligated to ensure an authentic Catholic environment in its schools,” though they also plan to “clarify” their stance on these issues with the employees of the district, and that the goal is not to force anyone to be outed.

“But there is this ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ mentality that creates feelings of stress, despair, where you have to remain silent to maintain employment,” says Kristopher Wells, an associate professor at MacEwan University. “That not only impacts teachers, but it denies LGBTQ youth the important role models they need.”

Eggen plans to review the employment contracts of not just CCSD, but all Alberta faith-based school districts, to ensure that nobody is being denied employment due to their sexuality.