Catholic School's Unmarried Faculty Room Sharing Ban Divides Campus
by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
March 21, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A theology professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota says faculty and administration at the school are struggling over what it means to have a Catholic identity as they debate a policy that prohibits homosexual and other unmarried couples from rooming together on school trips.
The university policy barring such rooming arrangements for unmarried couples was established last year after a lesbian choir director, Ann Schrooten, wanted to take her partner on a school trip to France, rooming with her during the tour. But after students at the Roman Catholic institution complained to the campus ministry, St. Thomas officials told Schrooten that the proposed arrangement created a "moral dilemma" and she would have to change the travel plans.
According to an Inside Higher Ed article, Schrooten chose to forego the trip and no longer works for the university, although school officials said that she was not asked to leave because of this situation. A statement released by the university last November noted that, as a Catholic university, "St. Thomas espouses the values and the teachings of the Catholic Church on the sacrament of marriage."
For that reason, the school stated, "it would not be appropriate for an unmarried partner -- homosexual or heterosexual -- to travel with the director of the choir, which is sponsored by the Campus Ministry office and the music department."
A Ban Based on High Standards -- or Homophobia?
Since the incident with the former choir director, the university's policy on unmarried couples rooming together has created difficulties for two heterosexual professors at St. Thomas as well. Ellen Kennedy and Leigh Lawton, both veteran educators at St. Thomas, were scheduled to travel to Australia on a school trip. However, because they have cohabitated for the past 12 years, university officials also found their travel plans to be inappropriate and asked the couple to book separate rooms.
The two St. Thomas professors took issue with that option, feeling they were being asked to behave disingenuously. They dropped out of the trip, and other faculty members replaced them.
Inside Higher Ed notes that Kennedy and Lawton have previously traveled with St. Thomas students on two occasions, in 2002 and 2003. These trips took place before the Schrooten case occurred, and on those occasions, the heterosexual couple was not asked to sleep in separate rooms. Some members of the university community question whether the issue would have arisen had it not been for the case involving the lesbian faculty member and her partner.
To date, more than 130 St. Thomas faculty members have signed a letter expressing opposition to the policy, and a resolution has been put forth in the faculty senate opposing it as well. St. Thomas theology professor Dr. David Penchansky feels the ban smacks of homophobia, although he does not believe that spirit characterizes most of the university's officials.
"I don't think that the administration is homophobic," Penchansky says. "In fact, I know for a fact that they are not. However, I think the administration is succumbing to pressures that are homophobic -- pressures from conservative organizations, pressures from alumni. And I think these come from a homophobic source."
The policy has divided the campus, Penchansky asserts. When asked whether the majority of the university's personnel oppose this administration policy, he replies, "I'd say probably, yes, the majority does oppose it; but there is a significant number of faculty within the university that would be more supportive of the administration. I think we're split."
Last year, Ann Schrooten filed a grievance with St. Thomas University over the university's handling of her situation. However, the school's Employment Personnel Committee ultimately found no basis for the choir director's claim of discrimination based on sexual orientation.
