Moral turpitude

I know what I'm signing on for as I prepare to start teaching in a Catholic school. I recognize there is just some literature, poetry, material that I won't be allowed to teach. But to be honest with you, I'm not convinced I'd be allowed to teach those things elsewhere in the state, and I'm not convinced I need to teach those pieces of writing in order to help my students learn, live or become better people. Shortly, I won't be able to teach any material that directly conflicts with the teachings of the Catholic church. Is that problematic? Yes, in a lot of ways. But, like I said, I know what I'm signing on for.

And really, it's not that limiting. I can still teach about social justice. I can still teach about world religions. I can still fuel the fire of inquiry. I just might have to work a little bit harder at times. Can I teach that Catholicism is wrong? NO. Do I want to? NO. Come on, it's a Catholic school. I'm not there to simply teach, and my students won't be there to simply learn. Bigger things are in place at Catholic schools. My argument is not that Catholic schools necessarily provide better education; rather, they provide a deeper sense of meaning without the restrictions of a public school. And to support that type of learning environment, I need to be on board with the expectations of Catholic teachers. I want to be on board with the expectations of Catholic teachers.

When Catholic teachers sign their contracts, there's a clause called moral turpitude. It requires Catholic school teachers to maintain a lifestyle that exemplifies the teachings of the Catholic church, regardless of that teacher's religious beliefs. If a Catholic school teacher does not fulfill this pledge of moral turpitude, he or she could be fired for a breach of contract.

An article recently ran in the Des Moines Register about a teacher who was fired for this contractual violation. I saw an argument on Facebook about the article. While I feel bad for this teacher and the situation she finds herself in now, I feel as though she had the responsibility to maintain her contractual obligations. It's an unfortunate situation either way. I'd love to hear other opinions.