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Parents at a Long Island Catholic school have rallied behind an LGBT+ teacher who claims she was fired from her job for not living a “Catholic lifestyle.”
Michael Califano, a third-grade teacher at Maria Regina Catholic School in Seaford, New York, told local media that he was fired Wednesday after someone sent a photo of him and his boyfriend to church authorities. Told.
But on Friday, more than 100 parents, students and faculty members gathered outside St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Center to call for Mr. Califano’s reinstatement, and more than 5,000 people signed a petition to that effect.
Petition author Karen Greenwood described him as a “much-loved, dedicated and hard-working educator” who had been “unfairly dismissed” because of his sexuality.
She further alleged that school administrators hired Mr. Califano knowing he was gay and that the decision to fire Mr. Califano was made by the local Catholic diocese against their wishes. .
“Michael epitomizes the kind of person who should be celebrated as an example of the Catholic faith,” Ms. Greenwood wrote. “Despite all the adversity and tragedy he has faced in his life, his dedication to his church, faith and school has never wavered and he still attends Mass every week.”
In response to questions from independent personA spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Center said, “For privacy reasons, we do not comment publicly on personnel matters, but we can confirm that the school did not terminate Mr. Califano’s employment because of his sexuality.” Stated.
The school’s principal, Matthew Scannapieco, also declined to comment, referring all questions to the diocese. As of Friday, the school’s website still listed Mr. Califano as the teacher.
Califano himself did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but told News 12 Long Island he does not believe he violated school guidelines.
Mr. Califano is best known locally as the son of Nassau County Police Officer Michael J. Califano, who was killed in the line of duty in 2011 when a flatbed truck struck him at high speed during a traffic stop.
According to his Facebook profile, Califano himself attended Maria Regina as a child and now hosts an annual commemorative breakfast and raffle to raise money for scholarships for needy students. He is said to be helping.
Califano told News 12 that the issue started when a social media photo of her and her boyfriend was sent to the diocese, and things “escalated” from there.
Greenwood said the photo was “in no way inappropriate” and was taken from her boyfriend’s social media account, as Califano’s photo had been set to private at the diocese’s request.
By Friday, the Nassau County Police Benefits Association had joined the call for Mr. Califano to be reinstated, along with about 1,000 people who had joined a group supporting Mr. Califano on Facebook.
“Long before my son was born or even attended this school, I attended the annual pancake breakfast for his late father,” said one local parent who worked as a police officer. said on TikTok.
“My relationship with my family has deepened, [that] That was one of the main reasons I decided to send my son to this school. Unfortunately, if this situation is not rectified with the Bishop, I will have to remove him from the school. ”
He added that the school was not responsible and had “tried to save it”. [Mr Califano’s] work”.
The Catholic Church has softened its stance on homosexuality in recent years. The law still officially criminalizes sex between two men or two women and strongly opposes same-sex marriage.
However, current leader Francis supports visitation and inheritance rights for gay civil partners, criticizes laws criminalizing homosexuality, and approves Catholic blessings for same-sex couples as long as they do not resemble the rite of marriage. did.
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