Appeals court finds Catholic school could fire gay teacher who announced marriage

Fairly narrow ruling based on ministerial exception to civil-rights law

Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic High School; Becket photo.

A Catholic high school in North Carolina had the right to fire a substitute teacher after he announced his marriage engagement to another man, a federal appeals court panel unanimously ruled yesterday. Legally, the case was an unusual one — the court majority disagreed with the legal arguments the scho…