Catholic high school fires gay band teacher over plans to marry
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Students and parents at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon rallied Friday in support of their gay band director, Flint Dollar.
He was fired earlier this week after announcing he’s planning on marrying his partner later on this year.
Now his supporters want answers because they say his sexuality was never a secret.
“Judging a teacher should be based upon their competency, not what they do off campus. And from talking to these young students, I have not heard one say anything bad about this teacher, that he is really an outstanding teacher,” one parent said.
It’s part frustration, part confusion….
Concerned Mount de Sales students want to know why Dollar was fired.
“This is wrong,” one grandparent said.
Students tell 41NBC Dollar’s sexuality wasn’t a secret. The school knew that when they hired him.
Dollar’s supporters say the school’s decision doesn’t add up.
“Once you violate or allow the civil rights of one person or one group of people, you violate all of our civil rights,” Sonya Foster, a concerned parent, said.
“He played a major part in the reason I stuck with band, and I stayed determined with it,” Logan Clark, a sophomore, said.
Students, parents, and members of the community met with the school’s board of trustees on Friday looking for answers.
The board didn’t allow media inside of the meeting, but they did issue a statement, saying in part…
“The personnel decision involving the band director is consistent with our duty as the Board of Trustees.”
Parents say that response isn’t enough.
“This is not about a gay issue, this is about Flint Dollar. It’s way passed the gay issue,” Foster said.
41NBC did reach out to members of the board, and they referred us to the statement below. No word yet on if any legal action will take place.
Stay with 41NBC for this continuing story.
The Board of Trustees posted the statement on the school’s website:
The Board of Trustees of Mount de Sales Academy has heard clearly concerns regarding a recent personnel decision involving a valuable member of our faculty. Every personnel decision that involves a separation of employment is difficult. The personnel decision involving the band director was no exception. First and foremost, Mount de Sales Academy is a Catholic school. It was founded over 135 years ago by the Sisters of Mercy with the mission to provide a high quality education based in teachings of the Catholic Church. Throughout its history, Mount de Sales has consistently been true to that mission and has thereby positively affected the lives of thousands of students. Mount de Sales has, and will continue to embrace inclusion within the teachings of the Catholic Church, always being sensitive to the goals of the Sisters of Mercy and the leadership of the Church at all levels. The duty of the Board of Trustees is to preserve the mission started by the Sisters of Mercy. The personnel decision involving the band director is consistent with our duty as the Board of Trustees.
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