Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Freethinker

Home
Nonreligious
Bishop facing abuse lawsuits blamed for sacking a gay teacher

Bishop facing abuse lawsuits blamed for sacking a gay teacher

Last updated on: October 27, 2021 at 5:06 pm by Barry Duke

Bishop facing abuse lawsuits blamed for sacking a gay teacher 2021-10-27T17:06:35+02:00 Barry Duke

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Images via YouTube

GAY New York music teacher Matthew LaBanca, above left, has blamed Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, right, for his sacking from St Joseph Catholic Academy after it became known that LaBlanca had married his partner Rowan in August this year.

LaBlanca was also fired from his post as music director at the nearby Corpus Christ Church. He said that DiMarzo – who retired recently after being cleared by the Catholic Church of any wrongdoing but faces two abuse lawsuits – was instrumental in having him removed from both jobs.

In a YouTube video LaBlanca said:

I’m stripped of both of my jobs, all of my employment, my health insurance, and, most importantly, the community life that has meant so much to me, not because of my work performance – not in the slightest – but because I’m gay.

LaBanca said in the video that his termination was sparked when someone reached out to the Diocese of Brooklyn with information about his wedding in what he called “an apparent act of righteousness.”

He also praised his former principal, calling him his “fiercest advocate,” and placed the blame on DiMarzio, who was leading the Brooklyn Diocese at the time.

He said he was offered a severance package that included a gag order running to almost ten pages.

Obviously I have not signed it, because I realised no price could be placed on my personal integrity.

He told WABC-TV he hadn’t decided whether he’d pursue legal action against the diocese but emphasised that he missed his job and, most of all, his students.

DiMarzio resigned in September after an internal probe by the Catholic Church has cleared him of a pair of decades-old sexual abuse allegations, but lawyers for his accusers say the investigation was a sham, and that they will continue to pursue legal action in court.

DiMarzio, 77, was accused in 2019 of sexual abuse dating back to his time as a priest in Jersey City, New Jersey in the 1970s. Mark Matzek, of New Jersey, said that DiMarzio had sexually abused him when he was between 11 and 12 years old over a year-long period in 1974 and 1975, while he was an altar boy and a student at St. Nicholas Church in Jersey City.

A second accuser, Samier Tadros, came forward in 2020 claiming that DiMarzio had sexually abused him when he was just six years old at Jersey City’s Holy Rosary Church.

Image via YouTube

Mitchell Garabedian, above, the attorney representing Matzek and Tadros in civil suits in New Jersey, said in a Brooklyn Paper report last month that the results of the investigation had no legitimacy because the probe and its investigators were:

Controlled by and paid for by the Catholic Church. The investigations concerning the credibility of my clients were subjective and biased. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which rendered the decision, is in the business of continuing the secrecy of clergy sexual abuse by hiding the truth.

My clients will continue to pursue their claims in the civil courts and justice will prevail when the truth is revealed.

Garabedian, who has represented hundreds of sexual abuse victims in suits against high profile abusers or institutions such as the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts, added:

I think the Catholic Church is practicing spin control and a public relations stunt that will just backfire on them. The determination by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will have absolutely no weight in the civil suits. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is a biased entity of the Catholic Church.

Garabedian’s relentless pursuit of justice for clerical abuse victims earned him international acclaim when he was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the award-winning 2015 movie, Spotlight.

Garabedian’s New Jersey civil suits were filed under that state’s Child Victims Act, which allowed adult victims of child abuse a two-year window to file lawsuits even if the previous statute of limitations had long since expired. New Jersey’s statute is similar to New York’s, which passed in 2019 and expired last month with nearly 10,000 cases filed, including hundreds against the Brooklyn Diocese.

Brooklyn Paper reported that:

The Catholic Church, which over the past twenty years has weathered innumerable accusations of child sexual abuse by priests, was one of the strongest opponents of the Child Victims Act before its passage owing to the inevitable ocean of suits it would face if the measure became law. Two years later, four of New York State’s eight Catholic dioceses – Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Rockville Centre – filed for bankruptcy.

Brooklyn Diocese officials spent six weeks deliberating LaBanca’s employment status before deciding to fire him earlier this month, the teacher said.

LaBanca told the local outlet WABC-TV that he was surprised by the decision because he was out as gay before his wedding.

I thought now, in 2021, we were moving forward and that this was not something I had to be concerned about.

The diocese did not reject LaBanca’s account, telling Insider in a statement:

Church law is clear. Matthew’s contract has been terminated based on the expectation that all Catholic school and academy personnel, and ministers of the church, comply with church teachings as they share in the responsibility of ministering the faith to students.

In his case, it has been determined that he can no longer fulfill his obligations as a minister of the faith at either the school or the parish.

The statement highlighted a condition within teacher contracts that requires employees “to support and exemplify” Catholic doctrine with their public conduct.

• Please report any typos/errors to [email protected]

If you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee – and boy, do I get through a LOT of coffee keeping this site active – please click the link below.

I’d love a cup of coffee

News

Abuse

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio

Previous Post

October 26, 2021

'Christocrat' has plans to seize control of Texas school boards

Next Post

October 28, 2021 Eight leaders of an Islamic cult in Kansas charged with child abuse

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Archive My Atheism News Opinion Reviews Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 March 2007 April 2006 February 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was a "phylactery" used by Jews during prayer?

Select your answer to see how you score.

A festival garment A musical instrument A small leather box with scripture A lamp

Books by This Author Books by The Freethinker

See All Titles »