"I Want My Life Back:" Mr. Fred Loses Lawsuit, Fights For Right To Perform

A popular music director fired from St. Francis Catholic Church lost his discrimination lawsuit against the church and the Diocese of Gaylord.

Thirteenth Circuit Judge Charles Hamlyn dismissed a suit filed in January by Fred “Mr. Fred” Szczepanski, who alleged he was wrongfully dismissed from the church after more than three decades of service because he married another man.

Attorneys for the church and diocese were successfully able to assert that the church, as a religious organization, is exempt from laws related to employment discrimination. Szczepanski tells The Ticker he knew the lawsuit was an uphill battle, but that he filed on principle.

Now Szczepanski’s sole focus is getting permission from the church to once again perform at Catholic weddings and funerals within the diocese, something he says he’s been barred from since departing from St. Francis.

“I want my life back,” he tells The Ticker. “They still have their hold on me…and they’re punishing me for something I shouldn’t be punished for.”

Szczepanski says that as recently as last week, he was told by a priest who checked in with Bishop Jeffrey J. Walsh that he could not perform at a close friend’s funeral, something he had been told previously after leaving the church.

“How can they say no to a family when it’s their loved one’s funeral and (they’re requesting me)?” he says. “This has gone too far.”

Diocese spokeswoman Renee Shimmel didn’t respond to a question about Szczepanski’s ability to participate in weddings or funerals within the diocese, which covers all of northern lower Michigan, though she expressed satisfaction at the church/diocese’s legal victory.

“The Diocese of Gaylord is pleased with the Court’s decision to dismiss the case in its entirety during summary disposition,” she said via email. “We are grateful the Court reaffirmed the principle of religious liberty established in the US Constitution.”

Blake Ringsmuth, Szczepanski's attorney, says he hopes "this case brings us closer to the day when no one loses their livelihood becuase of who they love."

“We knew this would be a hard case. It took a lot of courage for Fred to stand up and fight, but this is exactly how you raise awareness and make changes in the law and in our society," he tells The Ticker.

Szczepanski, who had been with St. Francis since 1990, says the fact that he was gay and with his longtime partner Bill Thompson was far from a secret at the church. Still, it wasn’t something he went out of his way to draw attention to, considering church doctrine.

“We just didn’t talk about it. I wasn’t going to gay pride parades or protests or that kind of stuff,” he says. “I knew I worked for the church and I respected the church for that, so I kind of kept it under wraps.”

Szczepanski and Thompson traveled west to get married during the COVID pandemic as a way to protect their rights and finances in the event either of them became seriously sick, a move that legally formalized their decades-long relationship.

Things took a turn not long after new pastor Rev. Michael Lingaur joined the church last year. He became aware of the marriage and fired Szczepanski in October. Szczepanski had already announced he planned to retire in early 2025.

Lingaur could not be reached for comment for this story. Sandra Jasinski, an attorney who represented the church and diocese, did not return a call for comment. 

Szczepanski says he is still hurt, angered and confused by his firing, which made national headlines and generated considerable discourse throughout the local community.

“What I don’t understand is they don’t recognize a same sex marriage, yet they used it as the reason for my termination,” he says. “I just don’t understand why I was picked and why I’m made to feel like a criminal. I didn’t do anything wrong…it was like a witch hunt. It was horrible.”

Despite the tough feelings, he’s been buoyed by messages of support during his ordeal.

“It’s been overwhelming,” he says. "I don’t know how I would have made it through since October without the support from the community, including people I didn’t even know. It’s unbelievable.”