Fired Teacher And Diocese Reach Settlement

A lesbian teacher challenging her firing by a Bishop Watterson High School will not get her job back as part of a settlement reached with the Columbus Catholic Diocese. Attorneys for Carla Hale and the diocese says as part of the agreement, she will receive "acknowledgement" for her years of service. Both parties declined to give details of the settlement. Hale said she was fired after her mother's obituary included the name of her partner and someone complained. The diocese says Hale was fired because she violated the church's moral teaching by having a "quasi-spousal relationship" with a woman.