Woman Is Fired From Christian School For Having Premarital Sex With Her Husband

[filkertom]

'Cause she's a fornicator. I'm not kidding. Newlywed Jarretta Hamilton, an elementary school teacher in her late 30s at Southland Christian School in Florida, went to her supervisors last year to be congratulated on her pregnancy and request maternity leave. But things took an unexpected turn when administrators asked just when, exactly, did

Comments

[joyful]

I went to a Christian school from 8th grade to 12th grade. While I was there, the 6th grade teacher was fired because he was seen holding hands with another man at the mall.

[aiela]

Friend of mine in the 80's had her 2nd grade teacher fired for getting pregnant out of wedlock at a public school.

Said friend, when telling me this story in high school, didn't have a problem with it. It was then that I realized she and I should never, ever, ever discuss matters of "morality" or "religion". And 20 years later we still don't. :P

[starcat_jewel]

Mileage varies. What I would have realized at that point was that this person and I should not be friends.

[aiela]

If that had happened today? Yes. When I was 15? I wasn't quite as set in my godless commie ways. We worked together off and on in our early 20's and then fell out of touch, and now we're "facebook friends", which basically means I don't have to deal with her on a day to day basis, so I can be more relaxed about it.

[redaxe]

I think it sucks, too. But I will note that the relevant SCOTUS opinion, as I recall it, specifically notes that religious-based organizations could apply religious tests to their employees. If it were a secular organization, it'd be so far out of line it'd be off the playing field.

I don't completely agree with that opinion -- hospitals, for example, ought not to have any religious bias at all -- but for schools, both the prospective employees and the parents of prospective students generally know, going in, that the place is biased (or should, based on the place's religious affiliation).

I hope she gets a better job at a place that doesn't have narrowminded bigots running it.

[ldyerzsie]

Only if you work for a religious institution. Like a Christian School. Work for the Government and no one really cares. Heck I was openly Pagan while working for a pre-school during my 20's and had no bad repercussions.

My parent's aren't at all religious, but they played the game and went to the Important services--major Holy Days and when the pastor's bosses were in town--when she worked for a Lutheran Church.

The nice lady should have just invoked her HIPPA rights and told them it was none of their business. Of course, the former employers are also in violation of HIPPA laws due to spreading around what is essentially private health info.

[mouser]

Actually like a *church* not a *school* (which has accreditation from the government it has to meet).

This will not end well for them.

[mouser]

Right to Privacy goes out the window when your response isn't "That's none of your business."

Telling others the reason they fired her was REALLY stupid, though. I think it's something other then "Right to Privacy" and will land the school in all kinds of hot water. Oddly, they don't even have to tell HER why the terminated her employment in FL. I imagine the HR department is kicking the principle in the nuts.

FYI: Their domain "southlandchristianschool.net" expired on 05/11/2010 and is pending renewal or deletion. Wonder when it can get snapped up...

Some review on the place.

[mouser]

Hey, wasn't Christ supposed to be conceived out of wedlock?

[mouser]

Interesting - the more recent "reviews" are from people that don't have children there, but the older ones starting at about 2007...

[terriwells]

Yes, it's like there's a sudden change in tone or something.

[vettecat]

Aside from their publicizing her private business, I don't think they did anything wrong. It's a religious school; they can require their children's role models to follow their moral code.