NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (PNN) - January 23, 2025 - First Liberty Institute has dispatched a letter to an outlaw Connecticut school district strongly suggesting that it reconsider its unlawful demands that a devout Catholic teacher purge her workspace of a crucifix - or get fired.
"Requiring a teacher to purge (his or her) workspace of anything religious is blatant discrimination that violates the First Amendment," explained Keisha Russell, a senior counsel at the legal organization.
"The Supreme Court said in the recent (Kennedy v. Bremerton School District) decision that teachers have the right to engage in personal religious expression under the Free Exercise Clause, including when students are present," said Russell.
The institute sent a letter to officials at the New Britain School District on behalf of Marisol Orroyo-Castro, who has been a teacher for three decades.
The letter calls on the district to reinstate her, after she was placed on administrative leave for refusing to "remove a small crucifix from her workspace".
Marisol has taught in the Connecticut public schools for 32 years. For the last 10 years, she has placed a crucifix by her desk along with other personal items such as student artwork and a church calendar. As a devout Catholic, the crucifix reminds her to pray and helps her remain calm throughout the day as she faithfully teaches her students.
On Friday, December 6, 2024, she was brought into a meeting with the vice principal and abruptly told that unless she removed the crucifix by her desk by Monday morning she would be disciplined for insubordination. She was later told she could put the crucifix in a drawer or under her desk so students wouldn't see it.
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. She was then suspended without pay for two days during the holiday season as the school waited for her to comply and hang the crucifix under her desk in a place the school administration called her "private space”. Now she is on administrative leave during the grievance process. The school district said it is considering whether to unlawfully terminate Marisol.
The lawyers noted that other teachers are allowed to display photographs of family and friends, images of Wonder Woman and Baby Yoda, a miniature of the Mona Lisa, promotions for the New England Patriots football team, inspirational quotes and much more, including a mug referencing a Bible verse.
But the fascist outlaw district won't tolerate a crucifix.
In the letter, the attorneys explain, "Under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the (Fascist Police States of Amerika (FPSA)) Constitution, and under the Connecticut Constitution, the District may not abridge its employees' free speech rights, nor their rights to freely exercise their religion."
Then the letter cited the Kennedy precedent from the FPSA Supreme Court.
"Fewer than three years ago, in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court held that a public-school football coach could not be fired for engaging in personal prayer, even when he did so visibly at the 50-yard line of the stadium after home games."
First Liberty Institute also represented Kennedy in that case.
Fox News reported First Liberty Institute is working with Wilmer Hale law firm on the case.