Who Gets to Teach In An Ontario Catholic High School

We'll Just Have to Wait for Barb Hall to Tell Us

The other day, the Guelph Mercury reported that out of work and not Catholic teacher Jesse Lloyd was going to the Ontario HRT to seek redress because he was not hired by the Wellington District Catholic School Board.

He, like every out of work high school teacher teaches history, geography and civics. The Board says it is within its rights to hire only Catholics to fill board teaching positions. The Mercury quoted here:

Don Drone, director of education with the Wellington Catholic District School Board, said the board is within its legal rights to hire only Catholic teachers.

“We exercise the right to hire Catholic teachers. It’s our raison d’être. That’s who we are. We don’t make any bones about it,” said Drone, who couldn’t discuss Lloyd’s complaint specifically.

Then there was this quote here from the article:

Lloyd applied to work at the local Catholic board in 2006. One of the requirements for employment is a letter from your pastor, confirming you are an active Catholic.

“I saw those requirements and applied anyway,” Lloyd said. “I didn’t hear back from them.”

In its written response to the Human Rights Commission, board lawyer Eric Roher cites the lateness of the complaint (more than two years after not getting a job) as one of the reasons it should be dismissed as well as the fact Lloyd wasn’t qualified for the position regardless of his religious beliefs.

There was some healthy commentary over at Blazing Cat Fur's site on this topic here.

I was going to leave it alone, but friend Walker Morrow over at The Lynch Mob cross posted BCF's article here, and as I have encouraged him when cross posting, he added his own comment to the article, thereby personalizing the post somewhat. Since I encouraged him, I don't want to rain on his parade, but I do want to comment on his comment.

Walker said:

much as I hate to say it, if this Catholic institution has accepted public dollars, then I think there's an argument to be made that the State can interfere in their affairs.

Interesting point, Walker old (young) buddy, old (young) pal. Except, who do you think pays the taxes that become the public dollars? And don't give me that guff that they are all borrowed from the Chinese or the Arabs. Hmm. In Ontario 45% of taxpayers list themselves as Catholic. Now granted a large number are nominal, but that is beside the point. They still consider themselves to be Catholic. So, methinks that 45% of the populace should be able to have a say in how some of their tax dollars are spent in any given year, as weird as that may sound.

Should Barb Hall wade in on this case, and the Corcoran case, she will get herself a twofer of trouble, indirectly. Dalton McGuinty who claims to be a Catholic, but is of the practicing on Sunday only variety, leaving the other six days for Mammon will find the Catholic vote running away from him in droves, and raining on his parade in a great yellow stream. At least that is my prediction.

Here's a little bit of not so friendly advice Barb. Kick Corcoran and Lloyd to the curb while you still have a career to salvage. My crystal ball tells me that messing with the Micks is not good business. That's one honking big minority group that you ought to shy away from.