Wrestling coach charges Muslim principal with anti-Christian bias after losing job

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Comments: 10

Principal Imad Fadlallah

Dearborn, Mich., Jul 29, 2009 / 06:09 am (CNA).- A federal lawsuit has been filed against a Michigan high school and its Muslim principal, charging that a respected wrestling coach’s contract was not renewed because of anti-Christian bias and his association with another coach who ran a wrestling camp where a young Muslim converted to Christianity.

Gerald Marszalek had coached wrestling for 35 years at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan. According to the Thomas More Law Center, which filed the suit, he had achieved a “legendary status” in the wrestling community through his numerous victories and his students’ success in being accepted to collegiate programs.

He was elected to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and named “Sportsman of the Year” by the All-American Athletic Association.

The coach had garnered more than 450 wins. According to the Chicago Tribune, his attorney Brandon Bolling said Marszalek wanted to complete “one last season” to try to achieve 500 wins.

However, Marszalek was not allowed to reapply for his coaching position.

The lawsuit alleges that the school’s Muslim principal Imad Fadlallah unjustly blocked the application. The principal was particularly upset when an assistant coach of Marszalek, Protestant minister Rev. Trey Hancock, held a summer wrestling camp at which a Muslim camper converted to Christianity.

The camp was not connected with either the school or Coach Marszalek.

“Principal Fadlallah was so upset by the conversion that he punched the student and informed him he had disgraced his family,” a Thomas More Law Center press release says. Fadlallah was found innocent of the charges at a Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education meeting last May.

Dearborn is one of the most densely populated Muslim communities in the United States, with about 30,000 of its 98,000 residents being Muslim. An estimated 80 percent of students at Fordson High School are Arabic and mostly Muslim.

The Law Center argues that Principal Fadlallah sees Fordson as a Muslim school both in students and in faculty.

The principal ordered Coach Marszalek to ban assistant coach Hancock, a volunteer, from the high school and all wrestling events. The assistant’s son was an All State wrestler on the team, allegedly making the order impossible to enforce.

He also ordered that Hancock’s son was not to be acknowledged at wrestling meets and barred the Hancock family from helping out at school concession stands during events.

The suit alleges that the principal did so because “as a Muslim, he disagreed with Hancock’s Christian beliefs, practices, expressions and associations.” It also claims untoward treatment of Marszalek and other coaches because of their Christian beliefs.

When the wrestling season concluded, Coach Marszalek was not allowed to reapply for his coaching position. The Thomas More Law Center charged that this was a “clear violation” of teacher’s union rules but the union did not assist the coach.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center commented on the lawsuit, charging:

“We are getting a glimpse of what happens when Muslims who refuse to accept American values and principles gain political power in an American community. Failure to renew coach Marszalek’s contract had nothing to do with wrestling and everything to do with religion.”

John Artis, former superintendent of Dearborn Public schools, told the Chicago Tribune that the coach was an at-will employee who reported to the principal. He said discrimination on the basis of religion had no role in the coach’s dismissal.

“There were a number of things tied into that. ... A tough decision had to be made,” he said.

The lawsuit charges violations of both the U.S. and Michigan constitutions and statutes including Michigan’s Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights laws. Marszalek is seeking back pay, damages and reinstatement as wrestling coach.

Comments: 10

Subscriber comments:

Published by: observer 2
Dearborn, MI 10/01/2009 06:08 PM EST

How would you feel if you child were converted to Islam by a coach at a "regular" school? I can immagine and entire community of Americans having a much more volitle reaction than what muslims had here. A coach, even at a non-school sponsored event, has no business trying to convert students, once you coach a student you always hold that role in their lives and should act accordingly all the time. I think this assistant coach is a trouble maker, but I don't see why the head coach or the trouble makers son should be punished. The fact that this asst. coach still lives in the area that feeds into this high school should say something about the tollerance of the surrounding commmunity.

Published by: observer
Dearborn, MI 08/01/2009 05:29 AM EST

Somehow my response got truncated in my previous post.

Thanks to instructor for explaining the situation in Dearborn as that is what I attempted to say in my truncated response to ~55.

Published by: observer
Dearborn, MI 07/31/2009 09:47 AM EST

~55

You wrote:
>> Many wrestlers, and parents of wrestlers complained about this coach. The decision had nothing to do with religion.

Published by: instructor
Detroit, MI 07/31/2009 06:02 AM EST

I have taught in Dearborn, though not at Fordson. The volume of complaints from Muslim students and parents there is often no reflection on the competence of the teacher, but can merely reflect that fact that they resent having a non-Muslim as an instructor.

Many Muslims in Dearborn are quite unassimilated to American concepts of justice and tolerance, and I've seen them gang up on instructors many times, often with largely fabricated and very vague but passionate complaints. Because they value group solidarity over truth and justice, many Muslims join in the grievance even if they have nothing against the instructor or even if they like him. If you talk to them one on one, they're liable to say that they are fine with the instructor but that they are just supporting the main complainant.

So volume of complaints in situations like that is meaningless, since you may have one true complainant and several "supporters".

As the Arabic proverb says, "Support your kinsman, whether he is the tyrant or the tyrannized."

Published by: I'm no dhimmi
Philly...where they drew up this nice little "lett 07/30/2009 11:18 PM EST

Just as a previous comment mentioned, the powers that be are afraid of "unrest" if the actual laws of the land are defended. This is how Islam gets its way. The Muslims take to hair-trigger angry outburst and scare people into giving in. Islam is a bully. You handle a bully by punching him square in the nose and hitting him until he doesn't get up (metaphorically speaking - I do NOT want violence against Muslims). Seriously, what happens when you give a bully your lunch money? He comes back to take it every day...and then he wants more!

This is what happens when Muslims become populous anywhere in the world. Wake up America! Look at the "youth riots" in France ("youth" being a euphemism for Muslims). Unless you want to lose your Constitutional rights and watch parts of this country cease to be America, we have to take action. The Muslims push, and it's time to push back in Dearborn (non-violently but very provocatively).

"DON'T TREAD ON ME!"

Published by: Dr. Guy Di
Chicago, Illinois 07/30/2009 11:11 PM EST

Sound like a local confilict with National implications. Maybe Obama should invite the Principal and the Coach to the White House as a follow up to his involvement with the Policeman and Professor.

Published by: H.j.d"cruz
Karachi 07/30/2009 03:27 AM EST

This is how the religion of peace operates all over the world including secular states. This is an eye opener for the world to see of the intolerant nature of its followers in every walk of life and done in a very artful manner.

Published by: ~55
Dearborn Mi 07/29/2009 03:24 PM EST

Many wrestlers, and parents of wrestlers complained about this coach. The decision had nothing to do with religion.

Published by: observer
Dearborn, MI 07/29/2009 11:30 AM EST

The sad reality is that, out of fear of civil unrest in the Dearborn Arab community, nothing will happen with this case. The coach will not be reinstated and the city of Dearborn will instead continue to slide into the control of a population and religion that despises Christianity.

The writing is on the wall - and our politicians who are more worried about votes than they are about preserving the institutions upon which this country was founded - are the ones to blame.

That big sucking sound you hear is Christian Americans leaving Dearborn in droves. Mark my words, Dearborn will soon become the Jerusalem of the west because there will be very few or no Christians left.

Published by: Earl Waters
Sanford, FL 07/29/2009 07:32 AM EST

Sign of things to come out of the peaceful religion of Islam.

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