Posted on 01/09/2013 7:27:11 AM PST by marshmallow
A transgender teacher is suing the New York City Catholic school where he worked for more than 30 years, claiming he was wrongfully terminated for growing out his hair, painting his fingernails and being "worse than gay."
In a lawsuit, Mark Krolikowski, 59, alleges that after 32 years of teaching at St. Francis Prep in Queens, N.Y., and receiving numerous accolades for his work including leading students in a musical performance for Pope Benedict XVI, he was fired last year after the parents of a ninth grader complained about his appearance.
Krolikowski remains anatomically male and routinely wore suits and neckties to school where he taught music, social studies and a class on human sexuality. He also wore earrings and manicured his nails in "a feminine style" according to court documents.
In 2011, Krolikowski was summoned to the office of the principal, Brother Leonard Conway, where he revealed that he was transgender and that he intended to start coming to work dressed as a woman. According to Krowlikowski's lawsuit, Conway told the teacher that being transgender was "worse than gay" and that he could no longer appear at public events if he planned to begin appearing as a woman.
"He is extremely upset given the dedication and devotion he showed to the school for 30 years," Krolikowski's lawyer, Andrew Kimler, told ABCNews.com.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
This guy teaches at a school called ST. FRANCIS...What the h*ll did he expect....good Lord, he scares me....if he wants to dress like a woman, let him do it when he isn’t teaching...
We certainly should be able to, especially in a PRIVATE religious school -- unless we no longer believe the First Amendment applies to Christians.
What if he never stole for 32 years, then embezzled this year? Should his prior service erase his theft?
Of course not, but this is nothing like that.
I completely support the school. I’m just pointing out that sometimes it doesn’t really matter about the person. Things are relative whether we like it or not.
Cannot agree; it's not about the person, who is one of God's children; it's about behavior. It's about that person's choice of what behaviors are acceptable, even though they are in conflict with the belief system upheld by his longtime employer.
What was he thinking? That he would be welcomed to pervert the children's view of gender roles acceptable under Catholicism because Catholicism is just wrong, in his opinion?
If I were the school and had access to a private investigator, I'd find out which leftist group is paying this guy.
That said, how many straight people do you know who get close to retirement age, and then just grit their teeth and suffer the various indignities of their intolerable boss or moron co-workers for the last five years or so, in order to retire with their full pension? I'd venture to say a majority of 9-to-5'ers experience this. So why did he seem to think he should be able to flaunt his obsession on the job at this point?
Yeah, before he chose to dress that way, he was a great teacher, peoples opinion of him was different than after. In this case, peoples opinion of him is relative to his behavior and appearance.
I have no idea why he decided to do what he did. Maybe he thought that the last 32 years meant something?
It’s no use, stuartcr. It’s about present behavior; not the past 32 years. Catholics still don’t have to promote transexual behavior in a private school. If he is trying for a test lawsuit, there is probably a leftist org funding him. End of story. Quit moaning.
I don’t care what happens to him. I was just pointing out the relativism.
I don’t care what happens to him. I was just pointing out the relativism.
Please be clear: actions have consequences.
No one was being morally relative unless he had always dressed as a woman at school and suddenly they said it wasn't ok. That wasn't the case. He had recently announced his intention to start dressing as a woman at school. A behavioral bridge too far.
There have been cases where a person was fired from a private/religious school on grounds related to the faith and the courts have upheld the church’s right to fire that person. There was a major SCOTUS case last year (or was it the year before? Recently, in any case). IIRC it was a Presbyterian school and its right to fire a teacher was upheld. The courts have pretty consistently said that religious schools can fire employees whose behavior is contrary to the beliefs of the church.
Hallelujah! Glad to hear it! And happy New Year!
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