A teacher claims he was fired from his job at a Catholic elementary school in New York City because of his sexuality — and now students and parents are rallying to get him back.
Michael Califano told News12 Long Island, WABC-TV and Fox 5 New York that he was fired from his position as a third-grade teacher at Maria Regina School in Seaford, New York, earlier this week. He said he believes he lost his job because school officials found out about his sexual orientation.
“I felt that the values I learned in Catholic school were ingrained in me, and I wanted to share that with the next generation and to be told that’s one of the reasons I was fired — it’s heartbreaking,” Califano, who is gay, he told Fox 5 New York.
Califano said Instagram photos of her kissing her boyfriend were sent to officials at the school, WABC-TV reports. School administrators then allegedly told Califano on Wednesday that he had “violated the handbook policy on adherence to Catholic values” — which he denied — and that they would let him go, according to the outlet.
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“They called me, laid everything out, and then that was the end of it … Shocked that this could happen in 2023, 2024,” Califano told CBS News.
Califano did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The Diocese of Rockville Centre, which runs the school, also did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the situation.
However, the diocese denied Califan’s claims in a statement to WABC-TV and News12 Long Island, saying, “For reasons of privacy, we do not comment publicly on personnel matters, but we can say that the school did not terminate Mr. Califan over his sexuality.”
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On Friday, a meeting of parents and students was held demanding that Califano return to his position as a teacher. Califano’s mother, who attended the rally, told Fox 5 New York that Maria Regina is her son’s alma mater and he was excited to return to the school as an educator.
“All he wants is to get back to work,” she told the paper.
Another parent at the march told WABC-TV that Califano is “the best teacher.” “He’s been Jameson’s teacher for three months and he’s changed my son’s life,” she said.
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A Change.org petition in support of Califano has so far collected more than 8,000 signatures asking that he be reinstated at the school.
“Michael Califano, an immensely beloved, dedicated and hard-working educator, was unfairly dismissed from his role at the Catholic school,” the post said. “This decision not only affects Michael personally, but also deprives the community of a dedicated servant who has consistently contributed to its enrichment.”
According to CBS News, Califano has obtained legal counsel and plans to publicly disclose more details about his firing.
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Source: HIS Education