NEW YORK The Archdiocese of New York fired a Bronx Catholic school principal whose white supremacist beliefs were "found to be incompatible with the philosophy and practices" of the church, the archdiocese said on Tuesday.
The church launched an investigation of Frank Borzellieri, who had been principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in the Tremont section since 2009, after the New York Daily News revealed his link to white supremacist groups.
"Mr. Frank Borzellieri has been relieved of his position as principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School," Joseph Zwilling, a church spokesman, said in a statement.
"This decision was reached following a thorough internal review of his opinions and beliefs as expressed in his books and columns, and a discussion with Mr. Borzellieri himself."
Borzellieri's ability to run a school where a majority of students are black and Latino came into question after reports that he has written books declaring America's growing minority populations would usher in a "New Dark Age." He also reportedly once tried to get a biography of Martin Luther King Jr. banned from public school libraries.
According to his Facebook page, Borzellieri has written for a white supremacist publication, noting his "long-standing ties to American Renaissance, a 'publication that has expressed support for eugenics and the racialism' of the early 20th Century."
Borzellieri's books include "The Unspoken Truth: Race, Culture and Other Taboos" and "Don't Take it Personally: Race, Immigration and Other Heresies."
He notes on his Facebook page that he is "best known for his conservative views on immigration, affirmative action, gun control, education, libertarianism, and his opposition to what he terms the lack of morality and the lack of focus on the basics of learning in the New York City public school."
Zwilling, the Archdiocese spokesman, said, "Many of the opinions expressed by Mr. Borzellieri in his writings were found to be incompatible with the philosophy and practices of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, and with Catholic schools throughout the Archdiocese."
"The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese pride themselves on serving a diverse student population, without regard to a student's religion, race, or background."
Borzellieri could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Greg McCune)
A winter storm packing heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain is on track for the U.S. South and Southeast where roads may become impassable and power outages are possible starting on Friday and into the weekend, forecasters said.
WASHINGTON Senate Democrats on Thursday demanded an ethics probe into Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for U.S. health secretary, following a report that the fierce Obamacare critic traded in healthcare company stocks while pushing legislation in Congress that could affect those shares.
BOSTON U.S. prosecutors on Thursday announced that about $20 million found under a mattress in a Massachusetts apartment had been seized after a Brazilian man was arrested for laundering money linked to a multi-billion-dollar global fraud.