He grimaces as he nods. “Unfortunately, Molly has rallied some of the other moms, and they’ve staged a protest. Even called the local news station.”
“A protest for what though, me being in a relationship? I don’t see how it’s any of her business who I date.”
Dennis reaches across the table and pats my hand. “It’s not.”
“What does she want?” I ask. “Is she trying to get me fired?”
The three of them nod. “It seems so,” Mr. Ware says.
“She can’t do that.” I glance around the table. “Oh my God, are you firing me? Is that what this is? I mean, isn’t that discrimination?”
Mrs. Cleary holds up her palm. “You are protected from discrimination on your sexual orientation, gender identity, and relationship status in the state of New Jersey. You are not getting fired.”
A breath of relief whooshes out of me.
Dennis nods. “The only thing that would cause your job to be terminated is if there is a legitimate reason tied to your professional conduct or performance. And who you choose to date in your personal life has nothing to do with what you do during work hours.”
“And you have been nothing but a wonderful employee here at our school,” Mr. Ware adds.
“Okay, so what happens now?”
“I’ve already alerted the police department to come remove these people from the premises. If Molly wants to exercise her freedom of speech, she can do so away from school property. We need to ensure the safety of the children upon arrival. You are to not engage with Molly or any of the other mothers out there; don’t give them the reaction they’re looking for. I would also like to remind you that you are not allowed to discuss anything school-related on social media.”
“Of course.”
“We’re hoping she tires herself out,” Mrs. Cleary says. “We are also preparing a statement to make it clear to Molly, and anyone else in our district that we stand in support with the LGBTQ community.”
“This district does not stand for hate and bigotry—otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.” Dennis grins, confirming his place in the LGBTQ community.
Pride soars in my chest. “Thank you for that.”
“Let’s focus on the kids, and try to forget the mess that’s outside. As far as they’re concerned, today is a normal Monday,” Mr. Ware says.
“And if the kids bring up anything they’ve heard from their parents over the weekend, what should I tell them?”
Anyone who works with children knows how inquisitive they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re being brainwashed into thinking I’m a bad person because of this.
“Excellent question,” Mr. Ware says. “Tell them to discuss any questions they have with their parents at home. If you receive any e-mails from parents, forward them to me.”
“Got it.”
Dominique is waiting for me in the library when I get out of the meeting. “What the actual fuck is going on? I saw those signs, Pres. They’re disgusting.”
I dig my phone out of my purse, and search up Stephen McKinley’s name into a Google search. “Apparently, there are pictures of me and the boys from this weekend on the internet, and Molly got her hands on them. She’s trying to get me fired.”
Dominique scoffs. “As if she has the power to do that.” She leans over my shoulder while I click on the top article. “Shit, girl. You’ve made it onto ESPN. You’re famous now.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Hardly. This article is more about the boys than it is me.”
The headline is ridiculous:Rivals on the Ice, Partners in Life? The Unexpected Romance Between Two Pro Hockey Stars.
“I wonder if this is going to cause any issues for them,” I murmur, thinking aloud. I text the article to the thread between the three of us, hoping they’ve seen it and their agents are already working on damage control.
“So, what did Ware say?” Dominique asks. “Where does he stand on all this?”
“He said to ignore it, and not make any statements. They’re hoping it blows over.” I shrug. “There are laws protecting me from discrimination like this.”
“You should sue her ass.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Fuck staying quiet. She can’t get away with acting like this.”
