Ken Bencomo has been teaching at St. Lucy’s Priory, an all-girls Catholic high school in the Los Angeles, California suburb of Glendora, for 17 years before being fired last month after photos of his same-sex marriage were published in a local newspaper.
Bencomo, 45, married his long-time partner Christopher Persky, 32, soon after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June that allowed same-sex marriage in the state of California.
Pictures were published of the couple’s marriage in a local newspaper in July. According to Reuters, the day after the photos were published, a school administrator told Bencomo he was fired because his marriage was “in public and violated the church’s teachings.”
Students and staffs were aware of Bencomo’s sexual orientation and same-sex relationship for at least 10 of the 17 years he worked at the school, his lawyer said.
Bencomo was the chairman of the school’s English department, the dance coach, and contributed to the school’s yearbook. Many students, staff, and local residents are outraged by the situation.
"I am joined by many students and alumni in saying that we believe this is a fight for love and equality, and as such we wish to display love and kindness, even while feeling hurt and shock,” said former St. Lucy’s student Brittany Littleton, Associated Press reports.
A petition launched online earlier this week has gained 10,000 signatures in support of Bencomo as of Thursday night.