The leadership at Benet Academy has reversed course and is offering the girls lacrosse head coach position to Amanda Kammes, a woman who reportedly landed the job offer only to find it rescinded after school learned she is married to a woman. The Catholic school in Lisle had come under fire for its handling of the situation, prompting a group of protestors to turn out Monday morning.
School Leadership Responds
In a statement issued Tuesday from the Board of Directors of Benet Academy, the school announced that a decision was made to extend a job offer to Kammes to be the school’s next girls lacrosse head coach. The Board of Directors held a meeting Monday evening to discuss the situation.
“The Board has heard from members of the Benet community on all sides of this issue over the past several days,” the statement reads. “We had an honest and heartfelt discussion on this very complex issue at our meeting. Going forward we will look for opportunities for dialogue in our community about how we remain true to our Catholic mission while meeting people where they are in their personal journey through life. For now, we hope that this is the first step in healing the Benet community.”
What’s At Issue?
The leadership acknowledged that the school had previously deferred its employment discussions with Kammes after learning that she is married to a woman.
Ultimately, the board decided that Kammes’ background and experience made her the right candidate for the job.
As of Tuesday morning, nearly 3,500 people had signed a letter in opposition to Benet Academy’s decision to rescind Kammes’ job offer.
It read, in part, “by rejecting a talented potential staff member on the basis of whom she loves, you have utterly failed to uphold the principles of dignity and charity that you purport to practice as Christian institution. We are ashamed of your narrow interpretation of Christian morality.”
Moving Forward
Kammes has since accepted the job offer to become the next girls lacrosse head coach at Benet Academy.
Naperville News 17’s Megann Horstead reports.
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Photo Courtesy of State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray
