GLENDORA, CA — Current and former students of St. Lucy's Priory High School delivered more than 45,000 petition signatures from a popular Change.org campaign asking the Los Angeles-area Catholic school to reinstate ousted gay teacher Ken Bencomo.
Hundreds of students and supporters gathered outside of St. Lucy's to rally for Bencomo, who had taught at St. Lucy's for 17 years before being fired last month after pictures of his same-sex wedding appeared in a local newspaper. One of the lead organizers of the event, Brittany Littleton, started the Change.org petition demanding that Bencomo be reinstated.
"Today we're gathering as current and former students of St. Lucy's, with the support of more than 45,000 people around the country, demanding that one of the best teachers to ever work at St. Lucy's be given his job back," said Littleton.
"We were taught at St. Lucy's that everyone deserves a seat at the table, and that nobody should face discrimination over who they are. It is entirely un-Christian and against the very mission of St. Lucy's to fire someone like Mr. Bencomo. Doing so not only hurts students, but tarnishes the reputation of a school so many of us are proud to have attended."
Littleton led a group of current and former students into St. Lucy's to deliver the 45,000 petition signatures, as well as thousands of comments left on the petition by people who knew and supported Ken Bencomo. The students were not allowed into the school, but were able to leave the petition signatures and comments with security personnel.
Littleton said that the students and alumni of St. Lucy's will continue their campaign to get Bencomo reinstated.
"We're not going to rest until Mr. Bencomo has his job back," Littleton said. "He gave so much to us as a teacher. Now it's time for his students to give back and make sure the whole country knows how great of a teacher he is, and how much he deserves to have his job back."
Journalists interested in setting up an interview with Brittany Littleton should use the contact details at the top of the page.
Live signature totals from Brittany Littleton's campaign:
https://www.change.org/petitions/st-lucy-s-priory-high-school-give-ken-bencomo-his-job-back
Reuters coverage of the campaign:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/02/us-usa-teacher-catholic-idUSBRE97106L20130802
For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about
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