Catholic public school teacher reportedly suspended for refusing to remove cross beside desk

A public school teacher in Connecticut, who is Catholic, was allegedly suspended and “threatened with termination” after refusing to remove a crucifix beside her desk, according to her legal representatives.First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit religious liberty law firm, along with legal firm WilmerHale, fired off a warning letter to the Consolidated School District of New Britain on Tuesday, accusing the district of violating the constitutional rights of their client, DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro, with its actions.The letter, first shared with Fox News Digital, alleges school leaders suspended Castro without pay, placed her on administrative leave and threatened to terminate her employment, “all for displaying a crucifix beside her desk in the corner of the classroom.”The tenured teacher and grandmother had displayed a small crucifix, among other personal items, beside 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 other teachers’ workspaces at the school.The letter claims that in December, DiLoreto’s vice principal instructed Castro to remove the crucifix after a concern was raised about its display.

However, by the following week, Castro did not remove the cross, leading to another meeting between the teacher, school leaders and a teachers’ union representative.First Liberty says a compromise was reached to where Castro could hang the cross if it was less visible to students.However, immediately after that meeting, she was reportedly told to hang the cross under her desk, which left her shocked and upset.The following day, Castro reportedly told the school principal she would not remove the cross, leading the principal to warn her that she must remove the religious symbol to properly “live out [her] faith” and “give Caesar what is Caesar’s.” After she refused, Cast...