BYU-I instructor says university fired her over pro-LGBTQ Facebook post

An adjunct faculty instructor at Brigham Young University-Idaho says she was fired from her part-time position as a political science instructor after a posting on LGBTQ rights on her private Facebook page.

Ruthie Robertson has taught at the university for one year, after graduating in 2016. She began teaching online in December and on-campus in April.

“I didn’t think it was going to be my job on the line,” Robertson told KIFI/KIDK reporter Chris Oswalt. “For me, this is just my personal opinion. This is my personal view. This is my personal, private Facebook.”

Robertson is a member in good standing of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints, which is a requirement to teach at the school.

“The Church Educational System (Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho, LDS Business College, Seminary and Institutes, Elementary and Secondary Schools) will hire and retain as employees only those individuals who are eligible to receive a temple recommend, whether or not they currently have or need one ,” the schools hiring policy states.

The 22-year-old instructor is one of the school’s youngest. She says her age is a factor in her belief that homosexuality is not a sin, which contradicts the belief of the church, which owns BYU.

“I’m currently a member of the LDS Church,” Robertson wrote in a post on June 5. “This organization has openly and forcefully opposed same-sex relationships and legalized same-sex marriage. They pushed members in California to fight against Prop 8, and had a policy claiming that same-sex relationships were a sin and discouraged individuals from participating in them.”

Robertson grew up in Virginia. She says she struggled with her views on homosexuality and the stance of the church.

“It is not a sin,” Roberston said. “It is something that man has decided is a sin, the same way as African-Americans are less worthy, because they are fence sitters.”

Robertson says hours after the post, BYU-I administration met with her. She says she felt she had two options: Either take down the post and keep her job or keep the post up and be fired.

“I wasn’t going to take it back,” Robertson said. “I couldn’t take it back.”

Robertsons said the administration told her she was violating the faculty handbook. In a copy of it that Robertson provided to KIFI/KIDK, reporter Chris Oswalt could not find any mention of a social media policy or a policy on expressing personal views.

“It sucks that I lost my job, but having seen the responses from, after this going public, from so many people, so many LGBT people messaging me on Facebook, thanking me, from my students is phenomenal,” Robertson said.

Robertson said she felt secure in making her post on Facebook because it is private. She said no students followed her online and she never expressed her views in the classroom.

“The point of all of this and the point for me going to BYU-I to teach to effect change. I wanted the church and I wanted the school, those organizations, to realize the harmful things that are inside the culture and inside the society, to help my students be the ones to create change.”

BYU-I would not comment on Robertson’s firing, calling it a “personnel matter.” When asked about social media policies or a policy on a faculty member’s personal opinion, a spokesperson told KIFI/KIDK, “I appreciate you trying to tell a fair story, but at this point, we are not providing additional information other than our statement.”