First appearance on Fox – A Catholic public school teacher in Connecticut was suspended and “threatened with termination” for refusing to remove a cross from the side of her desk, her legal representative announced.
First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit religious freedom law firm, along with law firm WilmerHale filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the New Britain Unified School District for violating the constitutional rights of its client, DiLoreto Elementary and Middle School. A warning letter was sent to the school district. Teacher Marisol Arroyo Castro and her actions.
In the letter, first shared with Fox News Digital, school leaders suspended Mr. Castro without pay and placed him on administrative leave for “hanging a cross next to a desk in the corner of the classroom.” , alleges that he threatened to fire her.
According to the letter, the lifelong teacher and her grandmother had displayed personal items, including a small cross, next to her classroom desk for the past 10 years before the conflict. First Liberty claims other personal items, including religious items, may also be found in the workspaces of other teachers at the school.
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Legal group First Liberty announced that Marisol Arroyo Castro, a teacher at DiLoreto Elementary and Middle School, has been suspended after clashing with the school for refusing to remove a cross next to her desk. (Getty Images/First Liberty)
In December, principal DiLoreto directed Castro to remove the crucifix after concerns were raised about its display, according to the letter. But Castro did not remove the cross the following week, prompting another meeting between teachers, school leaders and teachers' union representatives.
First Liberty says a compromise was reached that would allow Castro to display the cross in a location where it would be difficult for students to see. However, shortly after that meeting, she was reportedly told to hang a crucifix under her desk, leaving her shocked and upset.
The next day, Castro reportedly told the school's principal that he would not remove the cross, and the school principal reportedly warned that “in order to live properly, we must remove religious symbols.” [her] Faith” and “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
After she refused, Mr. Castro was pulled into another meeting in which he was told by district officials that he would “consider” whether it was in his “best interest” to leave the cross on the wall if he went unpaid for several days. ”, he was reportedly warned. She was subsequently suspended without pay for two days for insubordination.
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A Connecticut public school teacher has reportedly been placed on administrative leave for insubordination after refusing to hide a cross next to her desk. (Getty Images)
According to the letter, Castro was warned that if he did not comply with the district's demands when he returned to school, he would be suspended for an additional five days. She was placed on paid administrative leave after telling the district that she could not, in good conscience, keep the cross under her desk.
First Liberty reported that while Mr. Castro was on leave, he was “pressured to resign or take early retirement and sign an agreement not to sue the district” and would be fired unless he agreed to hide the cross. He claims he was threatened.
Legal groups claim the district violates teachers' rights under the U.S. Constitution, the First and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as religious freedom protections and workplace discrimination protections under state law.
The New Britain Unified School District disputed these claims in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling them “inaccurate and misleading.”
The New Britain Unified School District has pushed back against claims by a conservative legal group that its client was suspended for refusing to remove religious markings. (St. Petersburg)
The school district said the teacher's decision to “prominently” display religious symbols on the walls of public school classrooms was a “clear violation” of federal and state laws that ensure public schools remain neutral in religious matters. He claimed that.
“Significantly, the symbol was posted on the wall in front of the classroom. It was part of the classroom environment visible to all students and violated students' religious freedom,” the district said. did.
“We will not allow teachers to use their positions of authority to impose their personal religious beliefs or violate the civil rights of our students,” Superintendent Dr. Tony Gasper said in a statement. “Our commitment is to ensure a learning environment where all students feel valued.”
The district said the teacher has been placed on paid leave while it continues to resolve the issue in a “cooperative and collaborative manner.”
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“America's school officials need to catch up,” said Keisha Russell, senior advisor at First Liberty Institute.
“The Supreme Court has made clear that the days of intimidating teachers for even the mildest expressions of faith are over. “This is an affront to the Act and violates both state and federal law.'' The district needs to retract now,'' she added in a statement.
