Officials at Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill College are defending the
school against criticism in the wake of the dismissal of a gay
professor, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The
Roman Catholic college last month fired the Reverend James St. George
(pictured), a priest in a separate Catholic denomination not tied to the
Vatican, from his job as an adjunct professor of world religion.
College officials said statements he made about being gay went against
Roman Catholic teaching; he said the firing reflected antigay bias.
The
college issued a statement Friday saying the situation had been
“sensationalized and distorted” in media reports and public comments,
causing distress to gay people associated with the school.
“We ache for
the negative impact this story is having on them,” said Sister Carol
Jean Vale, the college president.
She also said, however, that the
college could have better handled the matter and is reviewing its
policies.
Attorneys for St. George and Chestnut Hill are involved in negotiations on which neither would comment to the Inquirer.
Meanwhile,
student support for St. George is strong, with more than 100 having
signed on to a Facebook page backing him and a rally planned for March
12.