Supporters of Fired Gay Teacher Gather More Than 45,000 Signatures

Supporters of a gay teacher fired from St. Lucy’s Priory in Glendora after photos of his same-sex wedding ceremony were published in a newspaper last month marched in front of the all-girls Catholic high school Thursday morning, demanding that the school give the teacher his job back.

St. Lucy’s graduate Brittany Littleton, 23, helped organize the protest and delivered more than 45,000 signatures to the school in support of teacher Ken Bencomo, 45, who had taught at St. Lucy’s for 17 years until the school decided to fire him. His termination came days after photos of his wedding to his longtime partner were published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin last month.

“We were always taught to support equal rights and that’s what we’re doing today,” said Littleton.

School officials at St. Lucy’s has remained quiet on the controversy, but cited their right to adhere to the Church’s stance against same-sex marriages.

 “As a Benedictine school, St. Lucy's is a community for those who wish to express Christian values in education and develop person and academic excellence,” the school responded in a written statement.

The Catholic Church has remained a strong opponent to the legalization of same-sex marriages. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement:

“The federal government ought to respect the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, even where states fail to do so. The preservation of liberty and justice requires that all laws, federal and state, respect the truth, including the truth about marriage.”

Littleton dismissed religious beliefs as an excuse for Bencomo’s firing.

“I don’t believe that religion is an excuse for injustice. I believe Mr. Bencomo is an amazing teacher. He’s been an amazing teacher for 17 years,” said Littleton. “His personal life has never been an issue in the classroom. We don’t believe he should be judged for that. “

Protesters included parents and former students, such as Alicia Doktor, a 2000 graduate from St. Lucy’s, who said Bencomo was instrumental during her years at St. Lucy’s.

“He encouraged a lot of great camaraderie among students because it was also an oppressive environment,” said Doktor, who came out as a lesbian following her graduation from St. Lucy's. “There were a lot of rules and not a lot of leeway for expression.”

Linda Ratcliffe, a mother of former student at St. Lucy’s, praised the school’s academic reputation, but said she was disappointed in school officials’ decision to fire Bencomo.

“We wanted a really great education for my daughter and she got a great education here,” said Ratcliffe. “It was a great boost to her self-esteem and Mr. Bencomo had a lot to do with that.” Students and parents said Bencomo’s sexual orientation had been known among the students and administration for years, with his partner, Christopher Persky, 32, having attended a number of school functions.

“Mr. B. never brought up his personal life as most teachers don’t,” said former student Megan Schaefer. “He just kept us motivated and excited about learning.”

Bencomo did not respond to requests for comment, but his lawyer Patrick McGarrigle said Bencomo may settle the situation outside of court. Bencomo has not filed a lawsuit against the school.

The line between religious private schools’ rights to teach church beliefs and discrimination has remained a gray area.

Earlier this year, a lesbian teacher was fired from an Ohio Catholic school where she taught for 19 years after her mother’s obituary mentioned her lesbian partner.

Under federal law, church-based schools may make hiring decision for religious reasons, according to David Ball co-chair of the American Bar Association's religious organizations subcommittee. But court cases are still determining what kinds of instances keeps religious schools exempt from anti-discrimination laws.

"This is his private life, out of work so that's the gray area," Ball told the San Francisco Chronicle. "When can religious employers say they have religious reasons for firing somebody when it's got nothing to do with their job performance? (when) it's their identity, not their actions?"

Bencomo’s supporters say they plan to attend St. Lucy’s school board meeting Aug. 14 to continue their protest against Bencomo’s firing.