Roncalli, Southport students dot football stadium with rainbows in support of suspended counselor

Show Caption Hide Caption Roncalli students wear pride gear during team's first football game Roncalli High School students wear pride themed clothes and accessories during the teams first football game of the season.

Amid the gloom of a rain-soaked Friday evening on the city's south side, a rainbow appeared in the stands of the Southport High School football stadium.

Students from Roncalli and Southport donned multi-colored leis, waved pride flags and dotted their shirts with heart-shaped stickers at the schools' season opener in a show of support for Roncalli guidance counselor Shelly Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald remains on leave a week after the Catholic high school's administration gave her an ultimatum: dissolve her same-sex marriage or risk her job.

The rainbow spilled out of the stands and onto the field when senior running back Elijah Mahan burst onto the field, pride flag in hand.

He played the game with "Ms. Fitz" written on the tape wrapped around his wrists.

"It's important to me because I'm in full support of Ms. Fitzgerald and everything we're doing here in Roncalli," Mahan said. "I just want to make sure that everybody knows that we're not prejudiced, no matter who you are or what you are."

"We still support, love and cherish everybody that walks in those doors."

Fitzgerald was placed on paid administrative leave last weekend after school and church officials were presented with evidence of her 2014 same-sex marriage. School officials defended the action, saying its contract requires teachers to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church, including marriage "between a man and a woman."

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Fitzgerald, who has worked at Roncalli for 15 years, has been with her wife for more than two decades. They have a 12-year-old daughter.

Students, parents and alumni rallied in support of Fitzgerald, planning protests, parent forums and social media campaigns. A Facebook group for supporters called "Time to be a Rebel" had more than 4,400 members as of Friday evening.

"I know, no matter what, if she loses her job or if she stays, she's gonna keep going and give everybody all she has," Mahan said.

Roncalli junior Madison Aldrich zig-zagged through the home and away stands distributing heart-shaped rainbow stickers and multi-colored leis.

“Ms. Fitzgerald has helped us for so many years and the least we can do is show her this much support,” she said. “We hope to see Roncalli and the archdiocese recognize her for the amazing person and counselor that she is.”

Hopping through the Southport student section wearing a tie-dye shirt and multicolored eye shadow, Southport senior Abigail Dunn said many students chose to combine the school's "preppy" theme with pride.

"After hearing about a Roncalli (counselor) that is potentially going to get fired and everything, a lot of us felt like we needed to show our support in some way, even if it wasn't officially through the school, because a lot of us have people who are part of the LGBTQ community," she said. "We just feel really passionate about it so it's something we want to make sure we show our support for."

What the future holds for Fitzgerald's job remains unknown.

Fitzgerald's attorney, David Page, said he met with an attorney for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis this week, but no agreement has been reached. School officials have not yet said what the next steps will be.

Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at 317-444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.

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