Indiana court sides with Catholic diocese in teacher firing

By TOM DAVIES
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that religious freedom rights protect the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis from being sued by a teacher who was fired from his job at a Catholic high school for being in a same-sex marriage. Joshua Payne-Elliott argued that archdiocese leaders wrongfully forced his firing in 2019 from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis by mandating enforcement of a morality clause barring employees from entering into same-sex marriages. The court’s decision on Wednesday said religious institutions had the First Amendment right to decide matters of church governance. Payne-Elliott pointed out in a statement that Cathedral High School renewed his annual contract three times after becoming aware of his relationship until the archdiocese intervened.