Gay Belmont coach out of job after revealing sexual orientation to team

[Babyjay]

Team captain Sari Lin said she met with Strickland on Tuesday and he told her Howe had violated a university policy pertaining to individual sexuality.

"He basically said we have the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and when she told us about the pregnancy, it violated that," Lin said. "She was telling us what her sexual preference is. He said you can hide your sexuality, but you can't hide a baby. He pretty much told me that once the baby was born she was going to get fired anyway . . ."


http://tnne.ws/35U

 

[93Devil]

Let me guess, Belmont is in the south?

First, she should have never resigned. She should have forced them to fire her.

Second, she hopefully had some type of correspondence via email with the admins of the school. Even if she keeps sending emails that are unanswered, that could be used to help prove her case.

If the University did fire her because of this child, then they should be sued back to the Civil War.

Chances are, though, this coach has no proof.

 

[HC]

There are lesbians in sports? I'm shocked, I tell you. Shocked!

 

[LongTimeListener]

WWJD?

Send all different people out into the desert, I guess.

 

[black dude with pompano]

Let me guess, Belmont is in the south?

First, she should have never resigned. She should have forced them to fire her.

Second, she hopefully had some type of correspondence via email with the admins of the school. Even if she keeps sending emails that are unanswered, that could be used to help prove her case.

If the University did fire her because of this child, then they should be sued back to the Civil War.

Chances are, though, this coach has no proof.

As a private institution, I imagine Belmont is in the clear legally. Doesn't make it right, of course.

A lot of private Christian schools make all employees sign "belief statements" not only professing acceptance of J.C. as their personal savior but also promising to live by a relatively strict "moral" code. That wouldn't fly in the public sector or in corporate America, but religious institutions are a different animal.

 

[YankeeFan]

She should have married her partner before she knocked her up.

That would have solved everything.

 

[HC]

If she married a man and changed her name would they fire her for revealing her sexuality? DADT only ever goes one way.

 

[Ace]

Belmont is in Nashville. Definitely the South.

This is so stupid.

But it might just make a great country song.

 

[TigerVols]

Belmont is in Nashville and it WAS a religion-associated school (Southern Baptist, IIRC) but it actually has a relatively liberal slant to it. Not Cal-Berkley by any means, but certainly far more progressive than it's rival a mile down the road, David Lipscomb, aka Notre Dame for Christ of Christ. In fact, it's so relatively progressive that last year it bought out it's ties to the religious foundation that supported it (partly because the school has been adopted by the Music Row community, making it one of the most prestigious music industry schools in the country. Just ask Taylor Swift.)

 

[Cosmo]

A lot of private Christian schools make all employees sign "belief statements" not only professing acceptance of J.C. as their personal savior but also promising to live by a relatively strict "moral" code. That wouldn't fly in the public sector or in corporate America, but religious institutions are a different animal.

Yep. School I cover makes its employees abide by such a code. They just have to be a little more sneaky about such things as lesbianism, alcoholism and cannibalism.

 

[Bob Cook]

Belmont was already in the middle of a gay kerfuffle (I love using that word) because it has twice denied the formation of a gay student group:

http://www.dailyorange.com/news/beyond-the-hill-outed-belmont-university-administration-denies-formation-of-lgbt-student-group-1.1813772

It ain't just the South. It's a religious issue most places. I seem to recall that a coach at my wife's high school -- an all-girls Catholic school in Chicago -- either was fired or left, knowing she would be, when she and her partner decided to have a baby, thus making it known she's a lesbian. I can't find a link to the story, but that coach did an interview a while back about it.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

Let me guess, Belmont is in the south?

First, she should have never resigned. She should have forced them to fire her.

Second, she hopefully had some type of correspondence via email with the admins of the school. Even if she keeps sending emails that are unanswered, that could be used to help prove her case.

If the University did fire her because of this child, then they should be sued back to the Civil War.

Chances are, though, this coach has no proof.

As a private institution, I imagine Belmont is in the clear legally. Doesn't make it right, of course.

A lot of private Christian schools make all employees sign "belief statements" not only professing acceptance of J.C. as their personal savior but also promising to live by a relatively strict "moral" code. That wouldn't fly in the public sector or in corporate America, but religious institutions are a different animal.

Does the school receive any sort of government funding?

 

[Shaggy]

I take it you are free to reveal your sexuality as long as it's heterosexuality.

Discrimination at its finest, there.

 

[imjustagirl]

If she married a man and changed her name would they fire her for revealing her sexuality? DADT only ever goes one way.

+1

 

[sportsguydave]

Let me guess, Belmont is in the south?

First, she should have never resigned. She should have forced them to fire her.

Second, she hopefully had some type of correspondence via email with the admins of the school. Even if she keeps sending emails that are unanswered, that could be used to help prove her case.

If the University did fire her because of this child, then they should be sued back to the Civil War.

Chances are, though, this coach has no proof.

As a private institution, I imagine Belmont is in the clear legally. Doesn't make it right, of course.

A lot of private Christian schools make all employees sign "belief statements" not only professing acceptance of J.C. as their personal savior but also promising to live by a relatively strict "moral" code. That wouldn't fly in the public sector or in corporate America, but religious institutions are a different animal.

When Jesus comes back, the first thing he's going to do is line a few folks up for a kick in the gonads for some of the things done in his name over the years.

These people will be on the list.

 

[RickStain]

I take it you are free to reveal your sexuality as long as it's heterosexuality.

Discrimination at its finest, there.

Both heterosexuals and homosexuals are free to say that they are heterosexual.

 

[dixiehack]

Let me guess, Belmont is in the south?

First, she should have never resigned. She should have forced them to fire her.

Second, she hopefully had some type of correspondence via email with the admins of the school. Even if she keeps sending emails that are unanswered, that could be used to help prove her case.

If the University did fire her because of this child, then they should be sued back to the Civil War.

Chances are, though, this coach has no proof.

As a private institution, I imagine Belmont is in the clear legally. Doesn't make it right, of course.

A lot of private Christian schools make all employees sign "belief statements" not only professing acceptance of J.C. as their personal savior but also promising to live by a relatively strict "moral" code. That wouldn't fly in the public sector or in corporate America, but religious institutions are a different animal.

Does the school receive any sort of government funding?

Sexual orientation is not a protected class under federal or Tennessee law. Personally, I would rather they keep the coach and flex their anti-PC muscles by going back to being the Rebels.

 

[Shaggy]

I take it you are free to reveal your sexuality as long as it's heterosexuality.

Discrimination at its finest, there.

Both heterosexuals and homosexuals are free to say that they are heterosexual.

LOL

 

[HC]

Could a teacher be fired for sharing their religious beliefs with students? DADT is a sham.

 

[SpeedTchr]

There is something fishy here. Reading through the entire Belmont faculty handbook and HR policies, I found no mention of a prohibition on working there if you are homosexual. The school's mission is certainly Christ-centered, but unlike other stricter church-based institutions, there did not appear to be any mandatory faith statement that must be signed.

I'm not buying anyone's story on this one. Student-athletes tend to be the most unreliable sources possible in a situation like this.