FIRST ON FOX– A public school teacher in Connecticut, who is catholic was reportedly suspended and “threatened to be fired” after refusing to remove a crucifix next to her desk, according to her legal representatives.
First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm, along with the WilmerHale law firm, sent a warning letter to the New Britain Consolidated School District on Tuesday, accusing the district of violating the constitutional rights of their client, DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro, by action.
The letter, first shared with Fox News Digitall, alleges that school leaders suspended Castro without pay, placed her on administrative leave and threatened to terminate her employment, “all because of the display of a crucifix next to her desk in the corner of the classroom.”
The full-time teacher and grandmother had displayed a small crucifix, among other personal items, next to her classroom desk for the past ten years before the dispute, according to the letter. First Liberty claims that other personal items, including religious ones, can also be found in the work spaces of other teachers at the school.
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Legal group First Liberty says DiLoreto Elementary and Middle School teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro has been suspended after a confrontation with the school for refusing to remove a crucifix from her desk. (Getty Images/First Liberty)
The letter claims that in December, DiLoreto’s deputy principal ordered Castro to remove the crucifix after concerns were raised about its display. However, the following week, Castro did not remove the crosswhich led to another meeting between the teachers, the school principal and the teachers’ union representatives.
First Liberty says a compromise was reached on where Castro could hang the cross if it was less visible to students. However, right after that meeting, she was allegedly told to hang a cross under the table, which shocked and upset her.
The next day, Castro allegedly told the school’s principal that she would not remove the cross, prompting the principal to warn her that she must remove the religious symbol in order to “live properly [her] faith” and “give to the emperor what is the emperor’s”.
After she refused, Castro was pulled into another meeting where a county official reportedly warned her that a few days without pay would help her “think” about whether it was in her “best interest” to keep the cross on the wall. She was then 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 for refusing to hide a crucifix next to her desk. (Getty Images)
According to the letter, Castro was warned that she would face an additional five-day suspension if she did not comply with the district’s requirements when she returned to school. After telling the district she could not keep the crucifix under the table in good conscience, she was placed on paid administrative leave.
While on administrative leave, First Liberty claims Castro was “pressured to resign or take early retirement and sign an agreement not to sue the district” and was “threatened” to be fired unless she agreed to hide the crucifix.
The legal group claims the district violates teachers’ rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as religious freedom protections under state law and protections against discrimination in the workplace.
The New Britain Consolidated School District disputed the claims in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling them “inaccurate and misleading.”
The New Britain Consolidated School District has rejected claims by a conservative legal group that their client was suspended for refusing to remove a religious display. (iStock)
The district called the teacher’s decision to “prominently” display a religious symbol on a public school classroom wall a “clear violation” of federal and state laws that ensure public schools remain neutral on religious matters.
“Importantly, the posted symbol was on the front wall of the classroom. It was part of the classroom environment that could be seen by all students, thereby infringing on the religious freedom of our students,” the district explained.
“We will not allow any teacher to use their position of authority to impose their personal religious beliefs or violate the civil rights of students,” said Dr. Tony Gašper, director of schools. “Our commitment is to provide a learning environment where all students feel respected.”
The district said the teacher has been placed on paid leave while they continue to address the matter in a “cooperative and collaborative manner.”
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Keisha Russell, senior advisor at the First Liberty Institute, commented, “America’s school officials need to catch up with the times.”
“The Supreme Court has made it clear that the days of intimidating teachers with even the most benign expressions of faith are over. Requiring a teacher to clear his work space of anything religious is an affront to the First Amendment and violates both state and federal law. The school district must now back down.” , she added in a statement.
