Connecticut Teacher Faces Firing for Crucifix in Her Classroom Desk Area
The veteran educator is represented by the same legal defense fund that vindicated a praying high school football coach in a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case.
A crucifix occupied part of teacher Marisol Arroyo-Castro's workspace wall at DiLorento Elementary and Middle School in New Britain, Conn., before she was suspended for refusing to remove it. Courtesy of First Liberty Institute
The lunch period was a sacred time for Marisol Arroyo-Castro. Rather than joining other faculty members in the lounge, she remained alone in her empty classroom, holding her crucifix, reading a passage from the Bible, and praying for clarity and direction.
Arroyo-Castro, a devout Catholic, credits that routine for her longevity and success as a teacher. During her 32 years in Connecticut public schools, administrators counted on her to control the rowdiest classrooms, work with English learners who were falling behind, and accelerate reading instruction for entire grade levels in buildings with high teacher turnover and low-income students.
Aaron Gifford has written for several daily newspapers, magazines, and specialty publications and also served as a federal background investigator and Medicare fraud analyst. He graduated from the University at Buffalo and is based in Upstate New York.
Connecticut Teacher Faces Firing for Crucifix in Her Classroom Desk Area
The lunch period was a sacred time for Marisol Arroyo-Castro. Rather than joining other faculty members in the lounge, she remained alone in her empty classroom, holding her crucifix, reading a passage from the Bible, and praying for clarity and direction.
Arroyo-Castro, a devout Catholic, credits that routine for her longevity and success as a teacher. During her 32 years in Connecticut public schools, administrators counted on her to control the rowdiest classrooms, work with English learners who were falling behind, and accelerate reading instruction for entire grade levels in buildings with high teacher turnover and low-income students.