Gay man will receive settlement from Catholic school that rescinded job offer
A man whose job offer was rescinded after an all-girls Catholic prep school learned he was married to a man has received an undisclosed settlement, reports The Boston Globe.
Matthew Barrett, 45, sued Fontbonne Academy in Milton after the school withdrew its offer of a food service position after Barrett listed his husband as an emergency contact on a form. The school argued it was exempt from the state’s nondiscrimination laws because of religious beliefs — the Catholic Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage. In December, a Massachusetts Superior Court ruled the school had discriminated against Barrett. The settlement means the school will not appeal the court ruling.
“It’s just a relief to have this off our shoulders,” Barrett told the Globe. “We’ve gone through a lot and we’re happy it’s behind us now. We just hope it doesn’t happen to someone else.”
Barrett’s lawer Ben Klein, with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), said he expects the case to set a legal precedent.
“This is the first case in the country to rule that an employer has no religious justification for discrimination,” Klein told the Globe. “Everyone deserves to be treated on their merits, and not based on whom they love or any other protective category.”
Read the full story in the Globe.
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