When a lay employee "breaks a contract," it's apparently serious. . .

An Ohio jury has awarded damages to Christa Dias, an unwed teacher who was fired from her Catholic school job after becoming pregnant through artificial insemination.

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In SNAP, we take no positions on church-related controversies other than clergy sex crimes and cover ups. So we have no stance or view or statement on this court ruling.

But we do comment on how church officials use a clear "double standard" to excuse clergy sexual misconduct. That double standard can be described as "One standard for clergy, another for laity."

We see that inconsistency in this case too.

Cincinnati archdiocesan PR man Dan Andriacco, who has explained and minimized plenty of illegal and immoral behavior by predatory Catholic clerics and complicit church supervisors, is quoted in today’s news accounts about the teacher’s discrimination case. Andriacco said that the court fight was about "an employee who broke a contract."

OK, if that’s what the archdiocese cares about – enforcing contracts – then Andriacco’s bosses had better get busy.

There are some 30 proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting Cincinnati archdiocesan clerics. (see BishopAccountability.org) My hunch is that most of them are still on the payroll. 

In 2007, the Dayton Daily News reported that “Of 18 area priests credibly accused of abusing youth, 10 are still suspended with pay.” Among those ten: Fr. David J. Kelley, accused of molesting more than three dozen children. (He has since passed away.)

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/03_04/2007_04_22_Beyerlein_AccusedPriests.htm

In fact, when was the last time you saw a diocesan priest – anywhere - fired (not temporarily suspended, but taken off the payroll) for "breaking his contract" by violating his celibacy pledge?

And when was the last time you saw a religious order priest fired for "breaking his contract" by violating his vow of poverty?

A contract is a contract, right?