A gay third-grader teacher at a Long Island Catholic school claims that he was fired over his sexual orientation.
Michael Califano, 26, a teacher at Maria Regina School since September 2022 discovered he was fired from his teaching job after pictures surfaced of him kissing his boyfriend.
Califano, an educator at the Seaford-based elementary school, was told on Wednesday that he had violated the local diocese rules regarding ‘living a Catholic lifestyle.’
He told News 12 that somebody had ‘sent an anonymous email with some pictures of my boyfriend and I, and it escalated from there.’
The Diocese of Rockville Center disputed the claims Califano and issued a statement to DailyMail.com about the matter.
Sean P. Dolan, the Director of Communications, Diocese of Rockville Centre said, ‘For privacy reasons we do not comment publicly on personnel matters, but we can say that the school did not end Mr. Califano’s employment over his sexuality.’
Michael Califano, 26, a teacher at Maria Regina School in Seaford, Long Island, since September 2022 discovered he was out of his teaching job after pictures surfaced of him kissing his boyfriend
Maria Regina School is located in Seaford, Long Island
The elementary school program teaches children from first grade through fifth grade.
According to its website, the school officers a curriculum that meets all of the New York State Department of Education and Diocese of Rockville Centre’s educational requirements.
‘We offer our students a nurturing Christian environment that balances strong academics with an emphasis on character building, morality, and values,’ the site reads, in part.
Califano attended the school as a young boy and was a parishioner at Maria Regina Roman Catholic Church.
His father Michael Califano, a Nassau County police officer, who also was a graduate of the school, died in the line of duty February 5, 2011.
Each year, Califano organizes a fundraiser and proceeds go toward scholarships in his father’s name. This year’s fundraiser was held in October and was a memorial scholarship pancake breakfast.
A petition on change.org was created on Thursday request the return of Califano described as a ‘beloved, committed and diligent educator’
Califano said that the school knew that he was gay when he was hired two years ago, and that is was never an issue.
The situation became a concern when kissing pictures from Califano’s boyfriend’s Facebook was sent to bishop of the diocese, Reverand John O. Barres, by an unknown person, Newsday reported.
Califano told the news outlet that ‘they said they found things on that account that were inappropriate for a Catholic schoolteacher.’
He added: ‘there’s nothing vulgar on that account.’
Many parents and community members rallied for Califano to be reinstated. And on Thursday, a petition on change.org was created that garnered more than 4,100 signatures.
The petition was sent to the Bishop of Rockville Centre Bishop Barres and one other person at the diocese and was created by Karen Greenwood.
The petition called for his immediate reinstatement and described Califano as an ‘immensely beloved, committed and diligent educator, unjustly dismissed from his role at a Catholic school.’
The petition further stated, in part, that ‘the decision not only affects Michael’s personally, but also deprives the community of a dedicated servant, who consistently contributed to its enrichment.’