LABOUR'S CHIEF whip has threatened to quit Holyrood's equality watchdog if it pushes ahead with plans for an inquiry into Catholic schools.Michael McMahon, the member for Hamilton North, said that he would "consider his position" if MSPs agreed to look at discrimination in faith schools.
He said he was "robustly defending the Church" against attempts to chip away at its rights.
The row took place last week as MSPs on the equal opportunities committee discussed a list of possible inquiries.
One of the options was an investigation into whether discrimination exists in the hiring of teachers at denominational schools.
The idea was said to have been motivated by last year's tribunal involving Glasgow City Council and maths teacher David McNab, who claimed he was prevented from applying for promotion at a Catholic school because he was an atheist.
He challenged the decision on the grounds of religious discrimination and won the case.
However, discussion of the subject at the committee, which was held in private, turned ugly after McMahon objected to a probe into Catholic schools.
The MSP threatened to quit the committee if his colleagues pushed ahead with the inquiry, then left the meeting.
McMahon told the Sunday Herald: "I have said to the committee that if they agree to an inquiry on taking away the rights of the Catholic Church on schools, I will not take part and I will consider my position.
"I have made it clear we should not be looking at this issue. All I was doing was robustly defending the Church."
Michael McGrath, the director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said: "I don't see what there is to investigate. I'm also curious that this item took place in private, which seems rather sinister. None of the MSPs there were elected on a platform of looking at the subject they were discussing."
A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said: "There was an item on the agenda held in private to allow full and frank discussion of potential inquiry topics. Reaching common agreement on what issues should be the focus of the committee's work is part and parcel of the process. It is for the committee to agree its work programme." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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