British Employment Tribunal Dismisses Case Brought By Anti-Gay Christian Adoption Adviser Claiming To Have Fired Based On Religious Discrimination, Howell Students Support Suspended Teacher, Law Enforcement Officer Changed From Admitted Homophobe To Crusader Of Hate Crime Enforcement After Leading Investigation Into Torture And Murder Of Matthew Shepard

Dr. Shelia Matthews, a 50 year old Christian adoption advisor from Kettering in Northamptonshire, England, who was terminated for refusing to recommend same sex couple as suitable parents, has lost her claim of religious discrimination, the BBC reporting that an employment tribunal dismissed the case she brought forward after two days of testimony, regional employment judge John MacMillan saying “The complaints of religious discrimination fail and are dismissed. This case fails fairly and squarely on its facts,” adding that “In our judgement, at least from the time of the pre-hearing review, the continuation of these proceedings were plainly misconceived, they were doomed to fail. There is simply no factual basis for the claims.” At the tribunal, Dr. Matthews reiterated her anti-gay stance, saying that the Bible clearly states that “homosexual practice is not how God wants us to live,” and that “As a Christian, my faith leads me to believe that marriage between a man and a woman in a faithful monogamous sexual relationships is the most important environment for the upbringing of children.”

Monday evening, the Howell Public Schools in Michigan held a community forum on bullying, and among those in 150 or so in attendance was Jay McDowell, the Howell High teacher who ejected two students from class after one student said his Catholic beliefs did not permit him to support gays on the day meant to mark bias-motivated bullying, who, as the Lansing State Journal writes, told the hearing that the student in question, 16 year old Daniel Glowacki, was a good pupil, but McDowell was alarmed that he felt quite comfortable making an anti-gay comment, McDowell saying “That’s on us. We have to create an environment in these schools that makes it safe for everyone,” adding that “Kids who sit in fear don’t learn.” Howell Public Schools Board of Education member and parent Wendy Day, however, admonished McDowell for his behaviour in classroom, telling the forum that he proved to be the bully in the incident, and that he “was just upset he got called out on the carpet by a student.” McDowell, who is the president of the Howell Education Association teacher’s union, and who is currently grieving his two day suspension – one with pay, one without – said “I commend the board and administration for scheduling the forum. This is the first step in making sure Howell Public Schools a safe place for all its students. It can’t be lip service, though. We’ve got to do it.”

Monday evening in Cleveland, Ohio, reports the Plains Dealer, an estimated 250 local and state law enforcement officers gathering in the Breen Center for the Performing Arts at St. Ignatius High School, for an annual hate crimes conference. Among those in attendance was the former police chief of Laramie, Wyoming David O’Malley. O’Malley delivered the opening remarks to the conference, telling those assembled that in 1998 “I was fully homophobic. Mean-spirited. ‘Faggot’ came out of my mouth as easily as ‘I love you’ to my children.” That stance changed however, after he led the investigation of the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard, an incident that along with the 1998 horrific murder of James Byrd Jr. in Texas, led to the creation of an expanded hate crimes legislation passed by President Obama in the fall of 2009, O’Malley asking “Why is this legislation important? Because there are places in our country where, if you’re queer, you deserve what you get. If you happen to be gay, we may not investigate as well. We may not prosecute. I’m hoping that stops.”