Teacher Suspended and Allegedly Could be Fired for Refusing to Remove Crucifix

A veteran Connecticut teacher says she's been placed on paid administrative leave and could be terminated for her refusal to remove a crucifix from her workspace, but the school district at the center of the dispute maintains officials have not threatened termination and continue seeking resolution.

Marisol Arroyo-Castro, who has been teaching for 32 years, told CBN News problems began last month when she was abruptly called into the vice principal's office. 

"It was a regular day," Arroyo-Castro said of the Dec. 6 encounter. "I'm sitting at my desk at lunch and opening my email and I get a [message] from my supervisor asking me to come and see him, and bring the union rep for a meeting regarding my cross."

She continued, "So that was shocking in itself. I didn't know what to expect."

According to Arroyo-Castro and her attorneys with First Liberty, she was told to remove the crucifix, which has reportedly been on the wall next to her desk for the past decade without incident. 

According to a statement, she was told a failure to take it down would be considered punishable insubordination. 

"She was later told she could put the crucifix in a drawer or under her desk, so students wouldn’t see it," the statement continued. "After she did so, Marisol started to sob, feeling as though she 'hid it under a bushel,' rather than let her light shine. After many tears and prayer, she returned the crucifix to its original location."

That move reportedly resulted in a two-day suspension without pay for Arroyo-Castro. According to First Liberty, she is now on administrative leave while the issue persists.

Meanwhile, a Jan. 27 statement from the New Britain School District's Superintendent Dr. Tony Gasper said officials remain "focused on resolving ongoing concerns involving teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro" and that there is allegedly more to the story.

"This issue, which has been ongoing for several weeks, centers on the prominent display of a crucifix in her classroom and reports of Ms. Arroyo-Castro has imposed her religious beliefs during instruction," the statement read. "These actions have led to complaints from multiple students and staff of various faiths, who have expressed discomfort in what should be a neutral and inclusive learning environment."

Gasper said the district is required to explore student concerns, specifically claims about alleged statements in the classroom.

"The district is obliged to investigate these student concerns," he said. "Specifically, we must investigate whether Ms. Arroyo-Castro referred to her students as ‘sinners’ and told students of varying faiths that they ‘need Jesus’ among other concerning reports."

In addition to these claims, district officials said they met with Arroyo-Castro recently to speak about other options for placing the crucifix but were unable to come to a resolution.

As for Arroyo-Castro, she told CBN News the cross has been an important symbol to her. As a Catholic, her grandmother stressed its importance and she was taught to have one with her throughout her life.

Its placement near her desk, she said, was something she never thought twice about.

"It was my comfort zone," she said, noting it brought solace. "It was my place to be. It was just there."

Arroyo-Castro's lawyers have demanded the district reconsider retribution, expressing grievances in a letter to New Britain School District officials. 

Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, told CBN News she believes her client is perfectly within her rights to have the crucifix near her desk, noting other educators display articles that mirror their own personal likes and perspectives.

"We have people who celebrate the sporting team that they like, there's Baby Yoda, there's all kinds of things," she said. "What you would expect someone — a teacher — to have in their personal desk space — pictures of family, etc., and that means that that space is that teacher's private expression."

Ultimately, Russell argued the "district cannot censor" the crucifix and that Arroyo-Castro should be treated like other educators who place symbols and photos next to their desks. 

"That is a violation of the Free Speech Clause," she said of the ban. "And that's just the first Constitutional provision that the school district is breaking because there are several other laws that they're breaking here."

The attorney said she was "outraged" when she first heard about Arroyo-Castro's suspension and compared it to the plight surrounding former football coach Joe Kennedy, who won a major Supreme Court victory in his battle to pray at the 50-yard line. 

Kennedy, too, lost his job but was inevitably vindicated by the high court.

"You would think that because that case was so big that people would understand that the government doesn't own you just because you work for them," Russell said. "And, this situation, I think these facts are even easier than what was going on with Coach Kennedy. So I don't understand really why the district feels the need to bully this teacher and try and get her to take down a crucifix when she has every right to have it on that wall."

But the district sees it differently. While officials said they are open to a compromise, they do not appear open to keeping the cross where it is without any other intervention.

"We will not allow any teacher to use their position of authority to impose their personal religious beliefs or infringe on the civil rights of our students,” Gasper said in a statement. “Our commitment is to ensure a learning environment where all students and staff feel respected and valued, regardless of their faith or beliefs.”

As for Arroyo-Castro, she said fellow teachers have expressed surprise and some have been supportive. Ultimately, she said she "couldn't really live" with herself if she had taken down the cross and complied.

"I knew that I wasn't doing anything wrong," she added.

Both Arroyo-Castro and Russell said there are no plans to back down from challenging the district. In the aforementioned demand letter, officials were asked to allow the educator to keep her cross at her workspace. 

"So far, the district has pushed back," Russell said. "They do not agree with our position, which is totally fine, but we are trying to give them time to come to their senses. ... If they don't, we will sue them in federal court."

Arroyo-Castro echoed this sentiment and said she wants others to know such displays, from her view, do not go "against the Constitution." 

"They're using the Constitution against us, and it's not true," she said. "The Constitution was meant to protect religious liberty, not to hinder it."

A request for comment from the New Britain School District has not yet been returned. 

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include responses from the school district.

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