Benet Academy’s decision to hire lacrosse coach in same-sex marriage might not be final word after chancellor says he is ‘deeply troubled’
Benet Academy’s decision last week to reverse itself and hire a lacrosse coach who is in a same-sex marriage might not be the last word in the tussle, the school’s chancellor suggested in a statement Tuesday.
Abbot Austin Murphy of St. Procopius Abbey, which founded and helps to run the Lisle-based Roman Catholic high school, said in a statement posted to the abbey’s website that the hiring decision raises the question of whether the public lives of Catholic school employees should follow the church’s moral teaching.
“I believe this requirement is necessary and, therefore am deeply troubled by the school’s decision which calls into question its adherence to the doctrines of the Catholic faith,” he said in the statement. “In turn, I want to let everyone know that I am taking this matter to prayer and discerning how to proceed.”
Murphy’s authority over the school’s decision wasn’t immediately clear. Asked for comment, a spokesperson said the abbey had nothing to add “except to reaffirm that Benet Academy is a Catholic institution. As such, it must adhere to the teachings of the Church on the dignity of all persons and the nature of marriage.”
Through a spokesperson, Benet declined to comment.
Murphy noted that Pope Francis recently reaffirmed Catholic doctrine on homosexuality and marriage, which views same-sex marriage as outside the sacrament, but said that doesn’t contradict the church’s love and respect for all people.
“(It) is important to note that honest disagreements about the morality of homosexual acts should not be construed as hate,” Murphy wrote. “If we give in to the voices that say that disagreement equals hate, then we allow civil discourse to perish.”
Benet officials had offered veteran lacrosse coach and alumna Amanda Kammes a job leading the girls team, only to take it away once they learned she was in a same-sex marriage. That led to protests inside and outside the school and a massive online campaign by students, faculty and parents to get Kammes reinstated.
The school’s board reversed the decision after a Sept. 20 meeting, saying, “Ms. Kammes’ background and experience made her the right candidate for the position.”
It said it extended the job offer once more and Kammes accepted. Kammes could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
Murphy’s statement marks the second time in recent years the abbey has clashed with schools under its purview. In 2015, he and his fellow monks sued Benedictine University, alleging its board violated bylaws by hiring a president without the abbey’s approval. The outcome of the lawsuit couldn’t immediately be discerned.
Murphy’s statement on Kammes’ hiring roiled some who pushed for the U-turn, including Kim Gannon, a doctoral student in public health who attended Benet for two years. She said she was concerned the monks might try to use their financial power to “strong-arm” the board into reversing its decision yet again; St. Procopius Abbey is listed as one of the school’s top donors in its most recent annual report.
“A lot of Catholics, especially LGBTQ Catholics who want to remain faithful, feel hopeless,” Gannon said. “The Catholic Church has always been a very top-down institution and we’re going to keep fighting. But people on the inside are starting to feel like it’s not possible.”
