Long Beach Teacher Gets Dose of ‘Reality’

Written by Danielle De Souza

Hundreds of parents and students stood outside Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District Office on Wednesday night to support a teacher from Long Beach that they love.

Follow Long Beach Patch on Facebook.

Stefan Serie, a 30-year-old Merrick Avenue Middle School health teacher and coach, was allegedly forced to resign after appearing on "Princesses: Long Island,” a Bravo reality show.

The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District's Board of Education said that they could not legally discuss the details of Serie's resignation. But Serie, the owner and instructor of Serious Beach Fitness in Long Beach, said he was forced either to resign or be fired after he was seen taking off his shirt during a pool party scene on the show, according to an article in the Daily News.

“It was a coerced resignation,”  Serie told the Daily News. "I want my job and tenure back. I think I deserve it.”

Christine Grassman, who started a Facebook page in support of the teacher, lead the crowd in a chant at Wednesday's rally.

"Bring Serie back, bring Serie Back," the large group screamed as they held signs. Dozens of cars drove by the crowd and honked their horns in support.

Grassman said that Serie encouraged her son, Braden Flax, who is blind, to give his all in everything that he did.   

"My son is blind and when he was on the wrestling team, Mr. Serie told my son to never give up," she said. "These are the kind of teachers that we need."  

Stacy Grossman, a mother of a child in Merrick Avenue Middle School, agreed.

"We should not be ashamed of shows about Long Island on reality television, but of a board who gets rid of highly effective teachers," she said.  

Serie's students described him as caring, encouraging and motivational. They said that he is being treated unfairly.

"I think it's ridiculous," Katherine Ratner, 14, said. "He got fired for something he did in his free time and he did nothing wrong."

Jack Jones, whose has Serie as a wrestling coach, said the teacher was one of a kind. "The school will never find someone like him," he said. "He was a great person."

After the rally, parents and students addressed the board at Wednesday's Board of Education meeting.

More than 20 students stood in front of the administration and expressed their feelings on the matter.

Nicole Baltzer said that she met Serie when he worked as a health teacher at Calhoun High School. The recent graduate told the board that they were being unjust.