A Missouri-based gay music teacher at an area Catholic school was recently dismissed from his job after authorities learned of his plans to wed his male partner of 20 years in New York.
As The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting, Al Fischer was fired Feb. 17 from St. Ann Catholic School in north St. Louis County, where he'd worked for four years. Fischer did not comment to the paper directly about his dismissal, but instead referred to an email sent to his students' parents after he was terminated.
The Post-Dispatch quotes from the letter, in which Fischer tells parents of "my joyful news, and my sad news," i.e. his plans to marry his longtime partner in New York City, and "that I can't be your music teacher anymore." The letter also encourages parents to discuss the situation with their children: "A family conversation about whether or not justice was served here could be a great thing. I do not want the lesson from this for the kids to be, 'Keep your mouth shut, hide who you are or what you think if it will get you in trouble.'"
Fischer's partner, Charlie Robin, told the paper that the couple's relationship was not a secret at the school, and that Fischer was only fired after a representative of the St. Louis Archdiocese overheard him talking to co-workers about his wedding plans.
As The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting, Al Fischer was fired Feb. 17 from St. Ann Catholic School in north St. Louis County, where he'd worked for four years. Fischer did not comment to the paper directly about his dismissal, but instead referred to an email sent to his students' parents after he was terminated.
The Post-Dispatch quotes from the letter, in which Fischer tells parents of "my joyful news, and my sad news," i.e. his plans to marry his longtime partner in New York City, and "that I can't be your music teacher anymore." The letter also encourages parents to discuss the situation with their children: "A family conversation about whether or not justice was served here could be a great thing. I do not want the lesson from this for the kids to be, 'Keep your mouth shut, hide who you are or what you think if it will get you in trouble.'"
Fischer's partner, Charlie Robin, told the paper that the couple's relationship was not a secret at the school, and that Fischer was only fired after a representative of the St. Louis Archdiocese overheard him talking to co-workers about his wedding plans.