This story is crazy.
I learned about this story right when we
were coming back this season.
And so thank you for being here.
I know a lot of people wanted to talk to you.
But your story needs to be heard by everybody.
Thank you.
So explain what happened.
I said that you worked there for 15 years.
I did.
And?
Well, so not only did I work there for 15 years,
but I went to high school there, too.
So I've been there kind of my whole entire life.
About three weeks ago, I got an email
from our President of the school and asked
if I could meet with him and our principal the next day.
And so I went in.
I actually e-mailed my principal first and I just
said, you know, should I be worried about this?
Because I really don't meet with the two of them together.
And so he called me back and kind of
gave me a little bit of insight, what was going on.
Someone had turned in my marriage certificate
to our principal, who then turned it into the Archbishop,
and that they needed to discuss it with me.
It's a Catholic school.
It is a Catholic school.
And so when I got into the meeting,
the President pushed my marriage certificate kind of in front
of me, had a copy of it.
And he said, who is this?
And I said, that's my wife, Victoria.
And so they proceeded then to kind of give me a few options.
And--
Which were?
They told me that I could dissolve my marriage.
They told me that I could resign.
They told me if it stayed kind of quiet,
and it didn't get into the media,
and I didn't let anybody know what was going on,
that I could potentially keep my job for the rest of the year.
But then they wouldn't renew my contract the following year.
And they said that if it got too boisterous, too loud
in the media, that they would have to terminate me soon.
OK.
So they all knew you were gay.
The students didn't know.
Correct.
The parents didn't know.
Correct.
You kept it quiet.
Right.
But the whole-- all the other teachers knew,
the principal knew, everyone knew.
Yeah.
Everyone-- I mean, probably not everyone.
But it's like anything in your-- well, not your life.
But--
Yeah.
--my life.
I'm gay!
[LAUGHING]
But, you know, you let people know who you love--
Right
--the people you trust.
And so, yeah, the majority of the people who were there knew.
How long have you been married?
We've been married four years since it became--
How long--
--legal.
--have you been together?
22 years.
You've been together 22 years.
Yes.
[APPLAUSE]
And you have a little girl.
Well, she's bigger than I am.
She's 12--
She's--
--almost 13.
--12, all right.
I mean, been together 22 years.
Been married four years, and they're
giving you the option to dissolve your marriage
or resign.
Right.
And then they said, if you keep it quiet
you can stay until the end of the year.
But it wasn't your choice.
They are the ones who announced it, right?
Yeah, right.
So when I finished that meeting and walked back to my office--
and I told them I have no desire to--
I'm obviously not going to dissolve my marriage.
I have no desire to resign from a job that I adore.
And so I guess a couple of days later,
they announced that I was on administrative paid leave,
and that I was banned from campus,
which was obviously hurtful.
And then they released a statement the following day,
basically just saying that Shelly Fitzgerald, in bold, had
been placed on administrative leave
because she's married to a woman.
And they put it on all of their social media
and sent out a press release and--
So they outed you.
To the world.
A lot of people were learning that you
were gay by them doing that?
Correct.
Wow.
Yes.
Where is it right now?
So we've met a couple of times with the Archbishop,
where we met with the Archbishop and I gave them some terms
that I would love to see changed in the contract, that he told
me there's no way we're doing this
but that we want to work together and see what happens.
And so it's kind of just in limbo still.
Well, we have a surprise for you.
We'll be right back.
How did the students react?
Oh, they've been incredible.
I mean, it's been--
you know, we've taught them in this school,
it's a life prep school, and we've taught them
you stick up for people and you love people
and you do it with kindness.
And they have.
Our first football game of the year,
they had everybody dressed in rainbow stuff
and had signs and, "I support Miss Fitzgerald," and--
Wow, huh?
That's amazing.
And they started a GoFundMe page for you.
And I just-- they sound amazing.
Let's meet them.
Come on out.
Oh!
I'm just assuming you're Elijah.
Yes, ma'am.
And who are you?
Anna.
I'm Raquel.
Raquel.
Reagan.
Maddie.
OK.
And you're a football player.
I'm the running back.
The running back.
OK, so it was your choice.
You go out on game day and do what?
So before the game, mom, she ordered a bunch of pride gear.
Like what did she order?
She ordered a sweat band and a bandanna.
And so I thought it'd be cool to show the whole community
that I'm an ally and that I support Miss Fitzgerald,
and everybody else.
Unbelievable.
I know.
They're unbelievable.
So she's a guidance counselor.
So what can you say about this woman that--
I mean, we're hearing this story and you
can hear the audience is shocked by what's going on.
You're shocked by it.
But tell me about her.
For me, I had quite a few issues last year,
and she was always there for me.
Her door was always open.
Her room kind of became my safe spot,
and she was just my person at Roncalli.
That's amazing.
And now she's not there, and that's really hard.
She's somebody that you counted on
to go talk to when you were going through whatever it is.
So you started a GoFundMe page for her.
And you've raised how much so far?
Close to $4,000.
$4,000.
And what are you going to do with the money?
Well, they have started a foundation.
And so they're going to use it to be a catalyst for change,
to just continue the word, and to get things out, and continue
change beyond just this story.
Yeah.
Good, because that school sounds like it needs that.
Yes.
So here's what we want to do.
Our friends at Shutterfly love helping people
tell their inspiring stories.
They want to give you $25,000 towards your GoFundMe page.
Oh, my god!
[EXCITED YELL]
Oh, that is awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Before we go to break I should say this,
if there is someone in Indianapolis, Indiana--
right-- if this school does not want
to hire her back-- which, I mean,
you went there to high school.
I assume it's important to you.
It is.
But if there's another school out there
that would like to hire Shelly, I urge you to do so.
I mean, this is an amazing woman who is doing some great things.
Yes.