DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – Educator Sue Fustin of Decatur was terminated March 22. She said it was because she’s married to a woman.
Fustin has been in education her entire career. She taught science and then was principal in Argenta Oreana schools for years. After retiring, she said she signed on in the fall to teach science at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Decatur.
Fustin said at the time she inquired to the hiring principal, Theresa Bowser, asking if teaching would be an issue because of her marriage.
“And Mrs. Bowser again, very professionally, is like ‘I don’t care. I need a teacher,'” said Fustin.
Fustin signed a contract to teach at the Catholic school.
But then, the 62-year-old said a parent found her wedding picture online and sent it to OLOL Priest, Father Friedel. She was first asked not to come back next school year, then brought in two school days later and told her termination was effective immediately.
“I said, ‘Well does this have to do because I’m married to Deb?’ And father shook his head. And the counsel said this is due to your marital status,” Fustin said.
While she’s had an outpouring of support from parents and other teachers, she said this is discrimination, adding, “I have never felt so demeaned, I’ve never felt my dignity ripped from me professionally like this.”
We reached out to the Springfield Catholic Diocese. A statement to WAND News reads:
“While we do not discuss the specifics of personnel decisions, all teachers in Catholic schools are ministers of the Catholic faith. As such, they sign a contract to publicly uphold Catholic church teaching.”
“I don’t understand all that much more about the Catholic Doctrine, but if people are divorced, but yet still work there. If people are living with other people and have children out of wedlock, but they still work there. I don’t understand why me being gay is any different then those things,” she said.
Fustin plans to seek legal counsel over her dismissal.
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