Many students at the high school publicly came out as gay or bisexual in response.
He frequently took over for humanities teachers and was a volunteer coach for the track team from September 2014 until Tuesday. He told BuzzFeed News he was often told that students and teachers requested him as a substitute when one was needed.
In late March, the school asked him to come on full time. McCubbin was "beyond ecstatic," he told BuzzFeed News. "I would finally get to do what I always wanted to do, be a teacher. And for kids I know and enjoy the company of as well."
The Des Moines Register / Via desmoinesregister.com
"My whole body sank, my heart was breaking," McCubbins said. "I instantly thought about all the students that identify as LGBT and how they can't possibly feel comfortable to talk to anyone at school about it."
Initially, President Bishop Richard Pates told McCubbin he could stay on in his substitute and coaching positions, but once the public outrage became apparent, Bates asked McCubbin not to return to the school.
When asked why McCubbin was allowed to stay on as a substitute teacher before this point, Pates said, "It takes a while sometimes to get through the process of a background check" but that according to church doctrine, McCubbin was not allowed to teach there in any manner. BuzzFeed News was unable to reach Dowling Catholic for comment.