This thread is not a debate about the morality of the war in Iraq. For the purposes of this issue, it’s not needed. The Pope has called the war immoral. The Catholic bishops of the U.S. have said similar things. As a teacher of religion and social studies, it’s Tankard’s job to teach and model the church’s position on social teachings.
As the head of a private, Catholic high school…Fusco has one hell of a lot of discretion in how to interpret the rules of his building.
Firing an experienced teacher for putting the church’s social teaching’s on a button…seems beyond asinine.
I guess Fusco will feel some pride in enforcing that rule.
So, an “experienced teacher” was told that the teachers should not exercise rights that the students are prohibited from exercising (and was not told to keep his opinions to himself, simply to honor the school regs on wearing stuff), and the teacher resigns in a huff and the principal is to blame?
You’re right…he was not fired (damn…did I type “fired”? :smack: )
In this particular case, I think if students wore the same type of buttons, they should be allowed to as well.
In this kind of scenario, Fusco has a lot of discretion to say…"hey…as a general rule, we don’t like slogans etc on the clothing, but there could be exceptions…and this (church social teaching) is one of them
Where did it say in the article that the students were allowed to wear the buttons?
If Fusco allows the exception to the rule for the war he may have to bend the rules for other issues such as abortion (ex: a teacher wears a pin with a mutilated fetus).
He is allowing them to teach the message of the Catholic Church is that not enough?
Have to side with the principal here for various reasons:
Much as the button might reflect the church’s teaching on the issue, it’s a pandora’s box. As mentioned above, what OTHER teachings might then be touted? What about when a gay teacher who sues the school because he wants to wear a “homosexuality is not a sin” button. That IS the church teaching according to my Catholic High School theology teacher: homosexuality is not a sin, homosexual ACTS are the sin; but I can’t imagine them letting the button be worn…
It makes an administrative nightmare. Who decides what is a “correct” statement of the Church’s teaching? Is that person then party to the lawsuit above? Who makes the call? The Bishop? Does he have to review every button anyone wants to wear?
Maybe I wasn’t clear. I think, in this case, students should be allowed to wear the same button.
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In a public school, I would absolutely agree with you. In a private school, Fusco has an enormous amount of discretion. He can say “this is a topical issue…the Pope has even addressed the importance of the anti war movement; wearing that kind of a button (or a yellow ribbon) or whatever…seems like a reasonable exception” If someone is wearing a button with a mutilated fetus…or mutilated Iraqi children…he could very easily say no to that.
You’re right, he certainly is “allowing” them to teach the message. I was hoping for a bit more than that.
If the school allows the students and staff to wear anti war buttons do they also allow pro-war buttons? I would guess not since it would be an anti-church statement, right? I think it is one thing to teach the mesage of the church in class than to have sides being taken on the war issue. Not every Catholic is anti-war and the school may feel backlash if only one side is allowed to voice their opinion.
Do you want to have to decide which buttons are acceptable and which aren’t? It could get out of hand (850 students). Don’t allow any and there is nothing to worry about. They are in Catholic school and should be learning what the chiurch stands for without needing a button. The teacher is free to put the button on in public (outside of school) without any repercussions.
Not sure if you were rolling your eyes with my use of the word “allowing”?
So what you’re saying, beagledave, is that, were you the principal, you’d have made a different decision?
Fair enough.
But I think the actual principal’s decision is one that a reasonable person could make. The school has rules; if the rules are changed when a particular issue comes along, the lesson would seem to be that school rules exist to serve the desire and even whim of the administration.
I’ll say this much: the Pope’s statements would be considered “pastoral teaching” rather than “dogma.” There’s a strong presumption that the Pope’s statements are correct (and a theologian would have a hard time overcoming the Pope’s reasoning), but it’s not binding on a Catholic, and it’s not as though one is forbidden from having a different opinion on that matter. Hence, the school–morally speaking–is free to disagree with the Pope. (Although prudentially, it looks bad, but that’s a whole other can o’ worms.)
So if I understand you correctly, a teacher could wear a button saying “Yay War!” and it wouldn’t be CONTRARY to church dogma… Thus someone could make “why can’t I wear MY button, it’s not contrary to dogma?” an issue (and shortly thereafter a lawsuit in our lovely litigious society).
Well, like many school rules…the one that forbids “slogans” on uniforms probably has the purpose of maintaining a certain “climate” in the school, and it cuts down on worries about offensive imagery…or an emphasis on commercialism.
It’s unclear in the story if the students wear actual “uniforms” at the school…or just have a proscribed dress code.
If students/faculty wear “Respect Life” buttons on the anniversary of Roe v Wade…or wear the type of button that these teachers wore, I would contend that those buttons are contributing to the Catholic identity of the building.
I would hope that the administration could see the difference between a “Respect Life” button and a “Just Do It” Nike button.
Schools, even Catholic schools have to make decisions about taste all the time. If the school invites students to make posters that convey a social teaching of the Catholic church (and I know of schools or classes that do this)…I can easily see a school saying, “ya know…the full color collage of aborted fetus’ isn’t really what we’re looking for here…”
I think the administrator in a private school has plenty of discretion on these kinds of things…and is not obligated to accept every single proposed button that might shoehorn in to Catholic social teaching.
Apparently I’m in the minority of opinions on this point though.
To answer ResIpsa…I never claimed that the war stance was dogmatic…it is however Church social teaching, topics that are covered in most Catholic high schools that I’m aware of.
I can’t imagine it going to court–the school, as a private institution, would be at liberty to set any dress-code policies they want. I suppose if someone wanted to make an ultra vires attack on the no-button policy, they’d have to take it up with the local ordinary of that geographical branch of the church. I really can’t imagine that a court would want to get involved in the internal policies of the church and determine whether they’re being met.
