A group of Benedictine monks has cut ties with a Catholic school in a Chicago suburb after it hired a lacrosse coach who is in a same-sex marriage.
Abbot Austin G. Murphy, Benet Academy chancellor and head of St. Procopius Abbey, announced the monks’ decision Tuesday in a joint letter with Dennis M. Flynn, Benet Academy’s board chair. The letter said there would be “a transition in the sponsorship of Benet Academy” in the coming months.
Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois, first offered Amanda Kammes, an alumna, a job as head lacrosse coach in September, but the board of directors deferred the offer after learning that she is in a same-sex marriage, citing the institution’s Catholic beliefs.
However, it reversed that decision and offered Kammes the job again after her supporters held a rally outside the school and more than 3,000 alumni signed a letter in opposition to the board’s decision.
