Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - May 29, 2009
Jeff Long, Tribune reporter
Patrick Szady, 60, of Lake in the Hills said he taught at St. Francis de Sales for 32 years and had shown the video, "Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You," for about 10 years.
In March a parent apparently complained about the video. Although Szady said he agreed not to show it anymore, school officials fired him April 6. Szady declined further comment, citing advice from his lawyer.
An online Facebook group called "Get Szady Back" had 357 members as of Thursday. Members have begun circulating a petition urging school and St. Francis de Sales parish officials to explain their actions. "Mr. Szady has been one exemplary teacher for all of our students," the petition says.
Ryan Blackburn, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Catholic Schools, confirmed that Szady was fired for showing the video because it is not part of the archdiocese's AIDS curriculum.
Released in 1992 by Paramount Home video, the program is hosted by Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall. It features singers and actors such as Paula Abdul, Color Me Badd, Tom Cruise, Neil Patrick Harris and Luke Perry as well as physicians.
A Tribune review in 1992 said, "vignettes and songs are combined to deliver several key messages: that AIDS can happen to anyone; the 'hows and whys' of transmitting or contracting HIV; that people who may be at risk should be counseled and tested for the virus, and that pre-sexually active young people should abstain as long as possible."
When the video was released, a review committee of the Los Angeles Unified School District rejected it for classroom use, saying it was too long at 42 minutes and the language was inappropriate.
Members of the Facebook group plan to meet at the Hawthorn Woods village barn on Lagoon Drive from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday to honor Szady and collect donations.
Another gathering is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Paulus Park on Rand Road in Lake Zurich, where former students will have a chance to meet him.
Erin McGinely is a parent of two students at the school and was a student of Szady's in the late 1980s. She said in an e-mail that he inspired her sons even though they were not in his class. "He brought an enthusiasm and lightheartedness to science and a sense of fun to the classroom," she said.
jjlong@tribune.com
090529
CT090502
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