Chancellor 'Deeply Troubled' After Benet Academy Hires Gay Coach

LISLE, IL — Benet Academy's chancellor Abbot Austin G. Murphy is "deeply troubled" by the Catholic high school's decision to hire Amanda Kammes, a lacrosse coach who is married to a woman, according to a statement released Tuesday. Murphy wrote that Kammes's hiring "calls into question its adherence to the doctrines of the Catholic faith."

Benet Academy recently came under fire when it rescinded an offer to coach girls' lacrosse from Kammes after she listed her wife as the emergency contact in her onboarding paperwork. After outcry from students, staff and community members, Benet Academy again offered Kammes the position, which she accepted.

Benet Academy Offers Job To Gay Lacrosse Coach Again After Outcry

Murphy, abbot of St. Procopius Abbey which founded Benet Academy, wrote that he plans on "taking this matter to prayer and deciding how to proceed."

In Tuesday's statement, Murphy cited Pope Francis, saying the Pope has made it clear that "love and respect for all persons is not in contradiction with Church doctrine on the sacrament of matrimony and teachings on sexuality."

"At the same time," Murphy wrote, "it is important to note that honest disagreements about the morality of homosexual acts should not be construed as hate."

According to the St. Procopius Abbey website, Murphy was elected abbot in 2010. A spokesperson for St. Procopius Abbey told Patch via email Tuesday, "We have nothing to add to the letter except to reaffirm that Benet Academy is a Catholic institution. As such, it must adhere to the teachings of the Church on the dignity of all persons and the nature of marriage."

Representatives for Benet Academy did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment and additional information Tuesday afternoon.

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