By Patrick B. Craine
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, November 15, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A homosexual woman is complaining that she was fired from a Catholic university in Illinois this fall after publishing a wedding announcement of her lesbian “marriage.” Benedictine University at Springfield, however, insists that Laine Tadlock actually resigned after they reassigned her to another position outside of education, with an offer of full pay and benefits. The university also said that it was aware of Tadlock’s sexual proclivities, but objected to her public show of disobedience to Catholic teaching.
“It was not Tadlock’s orientation, but rather the public disregard for fundamental Catholic beliefs, which was the basis for the University’s decisions,” they wrote in a statement last week.
Tadlock, 60, was the director of the education program at Benedictine University in Springfield. She claims the university knew of her “marriage” this summer in Iowa, but stepped in when she announced it in the local paper on July 11. Tadlock had listed the university as her place of employment in the announcement.
Tadlock has said she is considering taking legal action against Benedictine, and the university says they will mount a vigorous defence if needed. She claims she has support from students, while her assistant director, Maureen Lavin, resigned in protest of the university’s actions.
In a statement, the university explained that, rather than firing Tadlock, she was offered the position of director of assessment, accreditation and institutional effectiveness, because it would have been inconsistent with their Catholic mission for her continue with the education program.
The university said that they told Tadlock that if she refused the new position they would consider it a resignation. When she did not report for work on October 28, they informed her that they had accepted her resignation.
Tadlock told the Springfield Journal-Register, where she made the July announcement, that she finds it ironic that her “spouse,” Kae Helstrom, currently works at the university. “She’s an adjunct professor,” said Tadlock. “They haven’t said a word to her.”
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield praised the university last week for its “integrity” in addressing the situation. In a post to the diocesan blog, Bishop Paprocki insisted that “God intended marriage to be a life-giving and loving commitment between a man and a woman until parted by death.”
“Benedictine University is to be commended for its fidelity to the truth in upholding the faith and morals as taught by the Catholic Church,” he said.
LifeSiteNews contacted Benedictine University, but did not hear back by press time.