timeimmortal

I can honestly say that I’m not the least bit surprised that a school principal with a name like Imad Fadlallah is an anti-Christian bigot.

A veteran wrestling coach at Fordson High School lost his job amid concerns that his one-time assistant, who is a local minister and parent of a wrestler, attempts to convert local Muslim youths to Christianity.

The decision not to renew the contract of Jerry Marszalek, a coach for 35 years at Fordson, sparked a firestorm of controversy, with 200-300 parents packing a Board of Education meeting Tuesday night to support the decision of the school’s principal, Imad Fadlallah. The board directed administrators to consider reviewing the source of complaints against Fadlallah.

The developments occurred as officials and parents grapple with conflicts over faith, education and the future of a predominantly Muslim school, amid one of the largest Arab populations in the country.

Let’s just be clear on that: the veteran coach was essentially fired not because of anything he did, but because a former associate of his, a one-time assistant and parent of one of his pupils, attempted to convert Muslim youths to Christianity.

Let’s re-iterate: the coach was let go because of the actions of someone he kind of knew, not for anything he himself did.

“The principal has never, ever attended a practice or a wrestling meet,” Marszalek said. “But he makes judgments on the team according to which Arabic parent complains about another parent, who is a Christian minister, and I get lumped in.”

I agree with Mark Shea: I hope the guy sues. This is nothing less than religious bigotry on the part of the principal and various parents, not to mention an attack on what are in America rights protected by the Constitution: expression and association.

~ by Kenneth on May 29, 2008.