Monday, May 15, 2017

Public Money/Private Schools

It is a growing debate about whether private schools that receive government funding can discriminate. Could a private school that is receiving school vouchers or other government funding be for whites only? What about a religious school that is also receiving school vouchers or other government funding and limit enrollment to just those that believes in their faith?
Catholic Schools Try To Find Balance On LGBT Issues
Hartford Courant
By Shawn R. Beals
May 10, 2017

The controversy began, as many do these days, with an online petition.

A senior at Mercy High School in Middletown, an all-girls Catholic school, wanted to bring another girl as her date to the prom. The school's longstanding policy was clear — girls go with friends or bring a boy as a date.

More than 1,800 signed the student's "Let Girls Take Girls To Prom" petition on change.org, and the ensuing debate showed the increasingly complex position the Catholic church and its schools are in. Traditional Catholic policies remain, but Pope Francis is setting an agenda of greater flexibility and understanding, and though the issue is over for this prom season at Mercy, some alumni are pushing the school to change.
[…]
"All conversation about such issues is healthy; the school agrees with that," Strammiello said. "Whatever has prompted the conversation, I think, is less important than the conversation itself. It's an issue that requires a very thoughtful process by the school. There are larger implications that go all the way to the Vatican about how the church listens and shapes its response in a very broad sense. All of us who care about every student, we need to be very patient about where our divine faith leads us. It's not a bad place to be."

He said Mercy has made its decision, but continues to listen to the needs of its students as it looks for a balance between changing social views and traditions of the Catholic church.

"In this sometimes anxious world, when you're dealing with issues with such deep thought and sensitivity such as this, we need to be patient," Strammiello said. "We would be poorly served if anyone was being closed-minded about this."
The article frames this as religious canon debate but it is also a debate on if the school is receiving government funding and if they are allowed to discriminate against LGBT students and my guess they are receiving some sort local, state, or federal funds and if they are then I think the answer is simple; allow the students to be who they want to the prom.

If you answered that private schools cannot discriminate on the bases of race then they should not be allowed to discriminate against LGBT students.

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