Woman Loses Job Over Wedding Announcement

Laine Tadlock, a former administrator at Benedictine University in Springfield, Ill., says that she was forced from her job at the Catholic institution after officials objected to the publication of her wedding announcement in a local newspaper.

Tadlock married her partner Kae Helstrom in Iowa in July and published the news in The State Journal-Register, which also reported on the consequences for Tadlock, who was identified as a Benedictine employee in the wedding announcement. Helstrom is an adjunct professor at the school, but was not identified as such in the announcement.

According to the Journal-Register, "In a Sept. 30 letter to Tadlock's attorney, Benedictine President William Carroll wrote, '... By publicizing the marriage ceremony in which she participated in Iowa she has significantly disregarded and flouted core religious beliefs which, as a Catholic institution, it is our mission to uphold.'"

The school offered Tadlock early retirement, which she refused, but only after making a counteroffer that the school rejected. In early October, the school put Tadlock on administrative leave, then attempted to reassign her to another position, which she refused. At that point, Benedictine said it would consider her refusal to be a resignation, reported the Journal-Register.

Taldock is exploring her legal options. She served for five years as director of the education program at the school.