A student of St. Francis of Assisi School in Baltimore was asked to remove a gay pride jersey featuring rainbow colors and “PRIDE 365” following a Nov. 19 school Mass held at the church.
The elementary school’s administration made the request, according to a Nov. 22 statement from the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
“The attire contained imagery and language with a message that could be determined to oppose teachings of the Catholic Church,” the statement said. “St. Francis of Assisi is a Catholic parish and school that upholds the tenets and teachings of the Catholic faith. In addition, the church teaches that every person be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity and we hear and understand the concerns of the parents and community regarding the student being asked to change their attire.”
The statement said St. Francis School is “listening to these concerns and is working on plans to bring together the community to discuss this in an open, honest and listening way.”
In a Nov. 24 statement, the Archdiocese of Baltimore noted that St. Francis of Assisi School’s administration “has expressed sorrow and apologized to the student and her family for the way the situation concerning her attire was handled.”
The statement added that school leaders have spoken with students to address the incident, “to encourage an open discussion with thoughts on the experience.”
“Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools believe that every person should be treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” the statement said. “This incident did not live up to that standard. St. Francis School is taking larger steps to engage in listening and compassionate healing for the good of all.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 12:56 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2021.
More local news
Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media
