March 08--A man who was fired from a suburban Catholic church after announcing his engagement to his male partner filed a federal discrimination suit Monday against the parish and the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Colin Collette, who worked at Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness for 17 years, said in the suit that the church violated the federal Civil Rights Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance when he was dismissed as music director in 2014.
The church's "discriminatory conduct was intentional, willful and wanton," the suit states.
Collette's pastor asked him to resign shortly after learning of his engagement, but Collette would not and then was terminated, according to the lawsuit.
Reached by phone late Monday, Collette said he hopes one day to return to work in the Catholic church and he sees encouraging signs of reform coming from Rome and Pope Francis.
He cited the film "Spotlight," which depicts journalists who uncovered child sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Boston, and noted that a Vatican publication praised the film.
"When 'Spotlight' won the Academy Award (for best film), Rome was so quick to say, 'This is not an anti-Catholic film. It's calling us to an issue the Catholic church needs to deal with.' That's how I felt about this. I'm not trying to be anti-Catholic. ... This is an issue the church needs to deal with. There are a lot of good people that are hurting."
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that religious institutions have broader latitude than other employers when it comes to hiring and firing employees whose jobs have religious components.
Collette's suit, though, claims he was treated differently than other people -- both homosexual and heterosexual -- who are employed by churches within the archdiocese but have also entered into marriages that are not sanctioned by the church. The suit also asserts that, though Collette's job titles were director of worship and director of music, he did not select or approve music for masses or plan liturgies -- apparently suggesting his role was nonreligious in nature.
Many Holy Family parishioners spoke out in support of Collette to church leaders and fellow members, and his firing prompted another church employee to quit in protest. Other parishioners expressed support for the decision and said church leaders had no choice but to let Collette go.
An archdiocese spokesperson said the archdiocese does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Collette, who married his partner in Rome last year, is seeking to be reinstated in his job, along with an unspecified amount of back pay and benefits, damages and attorneys fees.
