Posted: July 22, 2025
Mark Richards taught music at St. Francis Xavier School -- a K-8 Catholic school in Metairie, LA -- for 22 years. Parents and students describe him as a "beacon of kindness and understanding." Yet last month, the Archdiocese of New Orleans fired the school's beloved "Mr. Mark" after receiving a complaint about his sexual orientation.
The principal and Richards' colleagues at St. Francis Xavier were well aware of Mr. Mark's same-sex relationship. The staff even showed him love and support when his husband, John, passed away from a sudden heart attack in 2023. It was only when a parent unearthed a copy of his husband's obituary that the school fired him.
The Archdiocese claimed they fired Richards for violating the school's "morality clause" by marrying a man -- even though he disclosed this when the school initially hired him.
Everyone should be free to love who they love without fear of losing their job for it. Parents from St. Francis Xavier School understand this and are asking the Archdiocese of New Orleans to meet with them to discuss Richards' reinstatement. So far, the Archdiocese has refused.
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Love thy neighbor.