A Cincinnati Christian academy hired a music teacher, then called him back in, asked him if he is gay, then fired him, all with hours. This entire episode is truly shocking, but what’s sickening are two important points: one, that the school is tax exempt and actually receives tax dollars. The other: the reason the school, Cincinnati Hills, gave the teacher, Jonathan Zeng.
Andy Towle at Towleroad reports that Zeng “describes what happened after he accepted the job in a letter to the school board’s trustees”:
Shortly after the conclusion of this meeting, Mr. Thompson called and asked me to return to complete some necessary business they had forgotten. He explained that there was an issue weighing on his mind because of my application answers regarding my belief in Christ’s unconditional love and that we as Christ’s followers are to show that love to all without judgment. These responses prompted him to ask if I was a homosexual. I was completely taken aback by this and asked why that was important. He explained that it was school policy not to employ teachers who are homosexual. When I asked why, he said that it was because I would work with children and because of the sanctity of marriage. I can’t begin to say how offensive and painful his comments were. I had no idea the school held such a viewpoint. Mr. Thompson was kind enough to offer me a ride, which I refused.
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The proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), introduced in nearly every US Congress since 1994, would protect workers in companies larger than 15 employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but it has not been passed.
Although Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is a private school, it does receive public money.
Its 2009 Form 990, a kind of tax return for tax-exempt nonprofits, lists about $1.15 million of its $18.9 million in annual revenues comes from government grants and contributions.
More recent state data reveal that Ohio has paid CHCA at least $707,212 in the school year that just ended. That includes funds for administrative costs, “auxiliary services,” and Ohio’s Educational Choice scholarship, which pays tuition for students who live near persistently failing public schools.