LifeSiteNews.com is reporting that Patricia Jannuzzi, 33,  who was suspended from Immaculata High School in Somerville, New Jersey last month after making comments about same-sex marriage on her Facebook page, has been reinstated after being suspended and told that her contract would not be renewed.

In a sudden reversal, the school’s Director, Monsignor Seamus Brennan, announced on Friday that Jannuzzi was back on the staff.

"Immaculata High School announced today that all issues related to the employment of teacher Patricia Jannuzzi are resolved," Brennan announced. "Immaculata High School has reached an understanding with Patricia Jannuzzi. It is the School’s position that a Catholic school teacher must always communicate the faith in a way that is positive and never hurtful. Tone and choice of words matter and I trust Mrs. Jannuzzi’s stated promise to strive always to teach in a spirit of truth and charity."

He went on to say that "Given Mrs. Jannuzzi’s otherwise good reputation as an educator over her 30 years at Immaculata, Principal Jean Kline and I have made the decision to reinstate her as a teacher as of today."

Brennan then clarified that this was never a theological issue but a personnel concern. "We are now and always have been united in our understanding and commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church. By agreement with all parties involved, there will be no further comment on the issue.”

As part of the reinstatement, Jannuzzi has agreed to take down her personal Facebook page.

The trouble for Jannuzzi began over a month ago when comments she posted against same-sex marriage on her personal Facebook page came to the attention of an alumnus of the school.

In one post, Jannuzzi referenced an article about three lesbians living together as “married” in Massachusetts and asked "Between this and many Egyptian men being beheaded ... when will the evil stop?"

In another post, she suggested that sexual orientation was a matter of choice and complained that one minute homosexuals argue that they are “born this way” to allow them to get 14th amendment rights to equal protection which are intended for “unchangeable characteristics such as race and disability.” But, on the other hand, “they will argue everyone should be able to choose” to engage in the homosexual lifestyle.

She went on to say that same-sex relationships threaten to “reengineer Western civ[ilization] into a slow extinction," and said “We need healthy families with a mother and a father for the sake of the children and humanity.”

An alumnus of the school saw the posts and started an online petition entitled, "Stop Public Hate Speech of Teachers" which caught the eye of a few Hollywood celebrities such as Greg Bennett of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” and Susan Sarandon, who has an openly gay nephew who was taught by Jannuzzi.

A few days later, Jannuzzi was placed on administrative leave.

The fact that a Catholic school would effectively fire her for making comments that are in line with Catholic teaching caused outrage, a sentiment that only increased when Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski of the Diocese of Metuchen defended the school. Although it was never clear exactly where Jannuzzi stood with the Diocese, the bishop only said that she had been put on paid leave.

However, Jannuzzi soon learned that she was no longer to receive her salary and benefits and that the school did not intend to rehire her in the fall. In other words, she had been fired.

Her two children started an online fundraiser to help the family meet their financial needs and managed to raise $33,000 from 384 donors before the situation changed and they were able to shut down the effort and return the money.

LifeSiteNews and the Lepanto Institute also launched a petition which received more than 5,000 signatures in support of the teacher.

Princeton Professor Robert George, who had raised the alarm about Jannuzzi’s suspension, thanked the school in a comment on his Facebook page.

“Sometimes---not often enough, but sometimes---justice is done and things come out right,” he said. “This was one of those times. I am grateful to Immaculata High School and Bishop Paul Bootkoski for doing the right thing. I suspect that Susan Sarandon and the ‘Real Housewives’ guy are feeling a bit less friendly towards them, which, to me, is something to be proud of."

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