A Seton Hall University priest who worked with its athletic teams claims he was fired from that position after showing support for the "NOH8" LGBT campaign.
The Rev. Warren Hall posted a message about his firing on Twitter Friday, which has now been taken down,
according to the Washington Post. Hall had worked as director of the university's campus ministry, noted the newspaper.
"I've been fired from SHU for posting a pic on FB supporting LGBT 'NO H8,'" Hall wrote on the deleted tweet, noted the Post. "I'm sorry it was met with this response. I'll miss my work here."
Seton Hall, which is run by the Archdiocese of Newark, declined to respond directly to Hall's charge.
"Seton Hall University does not comment on personnel matters," Laurie A. Pine, a spokeswoman for Seton Hall, said in a statement to the Post. "The Archbishop of Newark appoints the director of campus ministry, who serves at his discretion."
Archdiocese of Newark spokesman Jim Goodness confirmed to
NJ Advance Media that Hall's "term as director of campus ministry is ending," but would not say for what reason. Goodness said Hall will have a new assignment in the archdiocese.
"Just as a priest may change (parish assignments). ... they change from time to time,"
said Goodness.
A student-generated petition on Change.org was created to support Hall. Ethan Kraft, a student at Seton Hall, created the petition with an
attached letter to Seton Hall asking for the priest to be reinstated.
"This action is not in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, nor is it line with the words of Pope Francis, current leader of the Roman Catholic Church," Kraft wrote on the petition.
Hall posted a note of gratitude to his supporters on Twitter Friday evening, urging them to engage others about LGBT issues.
The NOH8 campaign was inspired by the fight against California proposition in 2008 that amended the state constitution to ban same sex-marriage,
according to its website. The U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 in 2013 to let stand a lower court ruling that overturned Proposition 8,
according to CNN.
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