SEATTLE — A gay vice principal who was forced out of his job at Eastside Catholic School plans to file a discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuit against the school and church on Friday. Lawyers for the church and school plan to respond immediately with a motion arguing King County Superior Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the case without violating the First Amendment.
The case has already stirred debate at the school and in front of the Seattle Archdiocese and has led to several online petitions arguing for reinstatement of the popular teacher, coach and administrator and calling for a change in church doctrine on gay marriage.
The school and the church decided Mark Zmuda couldn’t continue in his job after they learned he had married his same-sex partner. They cited an employment agreement Zmuda had signed that said his public behaviors would at all times be consistent with the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. An attorney for the school acknowledged that school leadership floated the idea that Zmuda could possibly get a divorce to keep his job.
The lawsuit Zmuda plans to file in King County Superior Court accuses the school and the church of discrimination, wrongful termination and violation of the state consumer protection laws. Zmuda’s lawyers will argue he was not a religious employee of the school.
