A teacher who has been working in Connecticut Public Schools for 32 years, according to her legal team, a crucifix was proudly displayed in her classroom.
Marisol Arroyo-Castro, who teaches social studies in seventh grade to Diloreto Elementary and Middle School in New Britain, had a golden crucifix on the wall next to her desk for 10 years before she was ordered to make it by school officials.
After she was initially satisfied, she put it on the wall again 'personal conscience'. She was then suspended for two days without wages, before she was placed with paid leave in mid -December, where she stays so far.
Powerhouse Law Firm Wilmerhale, together with First Liberty Institute -a non -profit law firm focused on religious matters -represent Arroyo -Castro and threaten to continue the consolidated school district of new -britain if it is not restored.
Assistant director Andrew Mazzei attracted Arroyo-Castro on Friday, December 6 in a meeting and ordered her to remove the crucifix against the following Monday, according to a letter that her lawyers sent to the school and the district.
Mazzei reportedly said that someone had worried about the crucifix, but did not reveal who it was, according to the letter.
In another meeting, this time with five school leaders, Arroyo-Castro was told that he had to put the crucifix under her desk.
School officials told Ctinsider that Arroyo-Castro received various options to keep the cross in her class, but it was not visible to students.
Marisol Arroyo-Castro, a seventh-class social studies teacher at Diloreto Elementary and Middle School, was placed on administrative leave after he had not removed a crucifix that she had shown in her class
Displayed: The golden crucifix can see on the wall next to the desk of Arroyo-Castro
The cross under her desk upset her because it 'hid her light'. So “After many tears and prayer, she brought the crucifix back to the original location,” said her lawyers.
On Thursday, December 12, Arroyo-Castro was suspended for two days without wages, according to the complaint.
In the next four days, she refused to admit to the requirement of the school that she placed the crucifix in a 'private room'. On Monday, December 16, school officials put her on paid administrative leave.
Arroyo-Castro was reportedly approached by the district with offers to retire early in exchange for agreing.
The district called the claims of Arroyo-Castro and her lawyers 'misleading' and explained that they had also received complaints from students and parents that she included her religious beliefs in her lessons, WTNH reported.
'This problem goes beyond the display of the crucifix. The promotions of the teacher include the inclusion of her personal religious beliefs in her instruction, which led to concerns of students and staff of different religions, said District Chief Inspector Dr. Tony Gasper in a statement.
'Reports indicated that students in the class felt uncomfortable. Students and employees released their concern about the fact that the environment is exaggerated by the religious views of the teacher.
“We will not allow a teacher to use his authority position to impose his personal religious beliefs or to infringe the civil rights of our students.”
Shown: here school officials Arroyo-Castro wanted to place her crucifix, according to her lawyers
Gasper added that showing a religious symbol, such as a cross, “both the federal and national laws that require public schools to remain neutral in religious matters,” Ctinsider reported.
Dailymail.com approached Gasper and other school officials for further comments.
Keisha Russell, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, said Ctinsider that the accusations of Arroyo-Castro with students about her religion were discussed with the complaint about the cross.
Russell further claimed that Arroyo-Castro was never told about ensuring that she used her religion in the course of her duties as a teacher until she was told to remove the crucifix.
In order to stimulate their argument for religious persecution, the lawyers of Arroyo-Castro quoted a decision of the Supreme Court from 2022 who maintained the right of a football coach for the High School of Washington State High School to be on the field after competitions with his team to pray.
Coach Joseph Kennedy was placed on administrative leave in 2015 and later reached a settlement of almost $ 2 million at the school district. He also had to return to a coaching position for the 2023 season.
Russell said that this case is very applicable to the Arroyo-Castro situation in.
“A teacher demanding that he is his workspace of everything that is religious, is flagrant hostility that violates the first amendment,” said Russell.
“The Supreme Court said in the recent Kennedy decision that teachers have the right to undertake a personal religious expression in the context of the Free Extra clause, even when students are present.”
Ray Padilla, a parent for two children at the school, expressed frustration that Arroyo-Castro was placed on leave. At the same time, he said that his feelings would change if it were true that she recorded her religion in lessons
Russell also pointed out that other teachers at the school have items that can be conceived as religious, such as a photo with a statue of Virgin Mary and a coffee mug with a Bible.
Ray Padilla, a parent for two children at the school, was frustrated about the school's decision to start Arroyo-Castro from the class.
'I am a bit angry with it because any other religion can show their things except Christianity. We are always attacked and I am a Christian myself, “Padilla told FOX61.
“We can rainbow flags, pride stuff, Muslim stuff and do nothing about it, but only Christianity is attacked.”
When asked if he would change his perspective if Arroyo-Castro had included her religion in lessons, Padilla said: 'If that is the case, you must separate the school and religion. You just can't force religion on someone. '
Russell said that Arroyo-Castro does not want to sue the school, but will do this if the district does not allow her to come back and to display the crucifix.
