Judge Upholds Suspension of Connecticut Teacher Who Had Crucifix in Classroom

A federal judge on Nov. 3 upheld the suspension of a school teacher in New Britain, Connecticut, who refused to remove a crucifix from the wall above her school workspace. U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Russell ruled that it is not legally permissible for a government employee, including public school teachers, to display a religious artifact in a classroom if the object is unrelated to instruction. The plaintiff, Marisol Arroyo-Castro, had taught in Connecticut public schools for 32 years before she was removed from her classroom at DiLoreto Elementary & Middle School in December last year. School administrators asked her to move the crucifix from the wall to under her desk, where the students couldn’t see it....