OHIO
The Columbus Dispatch
By JoAnne Viviano
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday May 2, 2013
Critics of the firing of a gay Catholic-school teacher have threatened to withhold donations from a fundraiser that kicks off this weekend and pulls in millions each year for Diocese of Columbus programs.
The Bishop’s Annual Appeal aims to raise $6 million in pledges from parishes across the 23-county diocese. Last year, the appeal received pledges from more than 24,000 households, raising $6.7 million to exceed the 2012 goal by nearly 15 percent.
But some backers of Carla Hale, the physical-education teacher who was fired from Bishop Watterson High School in March, say they won’t be tossing money into Bishop Frederick Campbell’s coffers this year.
Amanda Finelli, a 2005 alumna who runs the #halestormOhio advocacy group, said she won’t donate because “money speaks to the diocese.” Goals of the group are to get Hale reinstated and to encourage the diocese to revise employment policies.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.