Geneva College allegedly fires gay soccer coach after Instagram posts about inclusiveness
BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (KDKA) — A gay coach was fired from a conservative Christian college in Beaver County.
She reportedly made posts that Geneva College found to not agree with its values and terminated her.
Women's soccer coach Kelsey Morrison said she was fired after posts on her Instagram account that talked about inclusiveness and the message of Jesus. One includes a caption and an image that says "Queer people offer precious gifts to the church. Don't miss out." The other has three text boxes and an image reading "Jesus is radically inclusive. "
According to Morrison's Facebook posts, she was fired on June 2 because the posts were against the code of conduct. She thought she was being called into a meeting on June 2 because she asked human resources about living with male friends who work at Geneva. She was taken aback when these posts were brought up in the meeting. She said she was fired and escorted off of campus.
The images were posted on her private Instagram story two months prior to being terminated – in an effort to care for people who are wrestling with spirituality and sexuality.
Morrison worked as the coach for two years and brought the team to new levels of success. On Facebook, she talks about her journey of coming out to coaches and some players.
Morrison also reportedly discussed her sexual orientation with school administrators and received no backlash and felt welcomed for not being initially rejected.
In the wake of this, the assistant coach resigned. Right now, no new coach is listed on the school's website.
In a statement, Geneva College said:
"Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor.
"Geneva's biblical views and missional commitments are expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Catechisms, the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), and various policies and documents adopted by the Synod of the RPCNA and by the College itself. At the same time, the College understands that different perspectives exist in other faith communities.
"In order to maintain its religious character and identity, the College draws its workforce from among those who are willing to model and annually reaffirm their commitment to the truths captured in these documents. The College reserves the right to take appropriate action, up to and including separation from employment, if an employee engages in behavior or expression that contradicts or undermines these views."
Morrison hopes she can still help people struggling with their sexuality and spirituality.