Montgomery County Catholic school teacher, coach fired for being ‘alt-right' member

KENSINGTON, Md. - A substitute teacher and field hockey coach at a Catholic school in Montgomery County has been fired after it was learned he was a member of the "alt-right."

Gregory Conte was fired from his positions at Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, according to a letter sent home to parents from school president and CEO Kathleen Ryan Prebble. FOX 5 has learned he was with the school since at least August of 2014.

In the letter obtained by FOX 5, Prebble wrote, "Prior to his firing, he was successfully using an alternate identity in his work with his atrocious group."

"As for his potential impact on our girls, I conducted an investigation at the time of his firing and determined there was no reason to think that he negatively influenced any of our girls with his philosophy," Prebble continued.

Prebble stated in the letter that she would be meeting with students on Friday.

Conte, who appears to go by Gregory Ritter on Twitter, has several controversial tweets on his Twitter, including remarks about how "Hitler did not commit any crimes" and several links back to an alt-right website. According to the page, he is affiliated with the National Policy Institute in Alexandria, which many consider to be a white nationalist group.

"I don't regret it," Conte told FOX 5. "I obviously liked working at the school and I miss everybody, but I understand the political situation and I expected them to act as they did."

School officials said they learned of Conte's alt-right involvement back in October. When FOX 5 asked why the school waited until January to inform parents, the school said it would not be commenting further.

"The school is just trying to protect its own position," said Conte. "I get why they are doing that. They are doing it because they are put in an awkward position where they have employed somebody with whom they had no problem and whose views did not at all adversely affect their school's operations."