Backers to hold events for fired Lake Zurich Catholic school teacher

Supporters have planned two events next week to honor a popular teacher who said he was fired for showing an educational AIDS prevention video to students in his science class at a Catholic grade school in Lake Zurich.

The first event for Patrick Szady, former instructor at St. Francis de Sales Parish's school, is scheduled for 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 29 at the Hawthorn Woods village barn, 2 Lagoon Drive. The $15-a-person event will be open to those 21 and older.

To accommodate children who want to greet Szady, organizers said there will be a casual get-together from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 31 at Paulus Park in Lake Zurich.

St. Francis de Sales parishioner Lucie Bahner, a Lake Zurich resident, said supporters wanted to organize the events because Szady touched the lives of thousands of children over the years.

She said organizers also are using the events to raise donations for the 60-year-old Szady because he suddenly lost his job in the middle of a recession.

"It certainly has affected the entire school," Bahner said of Szady's dismissal, "both current and past students, and parents."

Szady has said he was suddenly fired last month after showing his eighth-grade science class the video "Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You," which features entertainer Arsenio Hall and former basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

He has said he played the same video in previous years, but there has been no official word on why it didn't cost him his job in those instances.

Archdiocese of Chicago officials confirmed Szady no longer teaches at St. Francis de Sales, where he worked for more than 32 years. Szady couldn't be reached for comment.

Numerous Szady supporters stepped forward after learning of his dismissal, calling on St. Francis de Sales and the archdiocese to reconsider the decision. The backers say he was a kind, enthusiastic instructor who was committed to the school.

Ryan Blackburn, a spokesman for the archdiocese's Office of Catholic Schools, said there were no developments regarding Szady's employment status at St. Francis de Sales this week.

Szady supporters recently sent a letter to Cardinal Francis George seeking consideration of reinstatement.

For the $15 contribution at the Szady party May 29, guests will get pizza, soda and water, with beer and wine for sale for $1. Plans call for the band Out of Storage to play at the event.

There will not be food or beverages available for the outdoor gathering May 31 at Paulus Park.