Standing Up for Christ: The Courage of a Teacher
A Connecticut school is punishing a Catholic teacher over her crucifix — and she's fighting back.
Marisol Arroyo-Castro, longtime teacher at DiLoreto Elementary and Middle School in New Britain, was ousted from school after she refused to take down a crucifix from her classroom.
She'd had the crucifix for 10 years without complaint, and it was placed in an area designated for her personal items.
While other teachers also had religious memorabilia in their classrooms, leadership singled out Marisol for punishment, calling her crucifix an "idol," and ordering that she hide it under her desk.
When she removed the crucifix on their orders, she felt "sick," as if she were betraying Christ: "I saw Him there on the Cross, and I know that He died for me. ... And there I was, taking Him down. And I felt like a traitor."
The next morning, she put the crucifix back in its normal spot — leading to the school punishing her by ousting her from the classroom, and from her job.
Now she's suing the school district for violating her constitutional rights.
I sit down with Marisol and her attorney, First Liberty Senior Counsel Keisha Russell, to talk about Marisol's ordeal, and how she's standing up for Christ.
