A gay Georgia teacher has been told that his contract will not be renewed after four years of teaching music at a Catholic school. Flint Dollar had received no parent complaints and had a clear record at the school; however, the teacher had recently announced his plans to marry his gay partner on social media.
Dollar says that he had been honest about his sexual orientation since he was hired.
Dollar was called in to see the school president on the last day of school. "I was told that ... the bishop of the Diocese of Savannah called and expressed his concern that if I was to return it would be against the teachings of the Catholic Church,” he said.
The state of Georgia does not have a law prohibiting employers from discriminating against homosexuals, but Dollar plans to use Title VII of the Civil rights act as the basis for a lawsuit. Title VII prevents employers from discrimination of sex.
Dollar’s attorney Charles Cox said, “When you fire somebody because they are engaging in a same-sex marriage, I think that pretty clearly fits with gender discrimination. You're being fired because you're not complying with traditional gender stereotypes, and that's wrong, and we believe it's unlawful."
Dollar says he does not plan to return to the school if he wins the suit.
Publication date: July 9, 2014
