Married Teacher Fired Over Premarital Sex

[lawtonfogle]

Otherwise, they need to stop focussing on sexual sin and go for all of them. Headmaster seen lusting after that BMW in the carpark

I know this is going to make some people groan, but I completely misread this. I read:

"Otherwise, they need to start focusing on all sexual sin and go for all of them."

I did a double take on what the headmaster was lusting after...

 

[lawtonfogle]

Show me a church that the pastor doesn't require a marriage license from the county. A Christian church, by the by. Our churches in the WELS require a marriage license, which is issued by the county, not the church.

That is what the church decides to do. Likely, most pastors probably go by a 'there isn't a reason you can't get legally married' standard. That being said, look at any church that marries polygamous couples.

God requires that we follow the law and the law is that a couple is not married without that license...you can't get marital benefits without that license, right? I mean, isn't that why the LBGT community wants the ability to get legally married?

You can't get the secular benefits of secular marriage. God never said you had to have a secular marriage to have sex. Adam and Eve never were.

Now, in a Christian theocracy, there might not be a different as the religious marriage would be the government marriage, but short of that, they are different.

 

[lawtonfogle]

You need to actually read my reply after that one.

Is that the one where you admitted that we need the contract to actually make a judgment? Yeah, I agree with that.

I was merely pointing out that unfair application of standards would seem to be a case for a suit (granted, I added a lot more to my post after that).

 

[jameseb]

Is that the one where you admitted that we need the contract to actually make a judgment? Yeah, I agree with that.

I was merely pointing out that unfair application of standards would seem to be a case for a suit (granted, I added a lot more to my post after that).

Yes, that was the post.

I'm certainly not a lawyer so I do not know what grounds, if any. I would think that if such a stipulation was in the contract, she hasn't got much of an argument. I would, of course, support a private institution to make whatever guidelines and rules they wish. However, I just don't think this rule, if it is true, is a good one, and quite possibly it's hypocritical of them.

 

[Mystman]

Yup, seems to be another case of "eh.. the only sins that really matter are the ones for which you can't find any evidence that I commit them"

 

[Rochir]

Only in America, land of the ....I don't even have a term for that!

 

[trunks2k]

I think it's really stupid, but that's what happens when you work for a religious institution. They have their own rules that you have to abide by. I went to a Catholic high school and a teacher who was popular amongst the students got fired for marrying a divorced woman. According to the order that ran the school, that was highly immoral (any previous marriages by either party needs to be annulled). Silly? Yep, but that's how it goes.

 

[Billnew]

People should realize that when you work for a religious organization then you agree to play by their rules. They have the right to only want people who believe exactly as they do to work for them. .

I agree.

If you work for an institute that proclaims high morality standards, than you can not do anything publicly that would tarnish those standards.
Pre-marital sex is not the problem. She had a child concieved during premarital sex.

I also agree with those that say that Christians are suppose to forgive.
But the people who work for you represent the organization, and anything the individual does reflects on the organization.
Should the Christian school employ someone that openly sins against the schools beliefs?
Forgiveness does not mean they have to keep the person employed at the school. Forgiveness could mean they would hire her in another less inspirational position.
It is their definition of forgiveness not ours.

 

[lawtonfogle]

I agree.

If you work for an institute that proclaims high morality standards, than you can not do anything publicly that would tarnish those standards.
Pre-marital sex is not the problem. She had a child concieved during premarital sex.

Is the school trying to encourage students to get hidden abortions?

 

[trunks2k]

Is the school trying to encourage students to get hidden abortions?

Don't you know it's OK to act immorally as long as nobody finds out about it.

 

[Risen Tree]

That's not necessarily true. I know of at least five teachers who were summarily fired by the high school I attended and they had no problems getting jobs, even though two of them were fired for misconduct with students and another one was fired for helping her students cheat on the ACT.

Not saying I don't believe you, but are you sure about that? Every teacher I know had security question during or prior to their interview, asking them whether they had ever been fired from a teaching position.

Maybe this varies from state to state.

 

[silence_dogood]

"Fourth-grade teacher Jarretta Hamilton was newly married and expecting a baby when she went to speak with her supervisors in April of last year.

But the administrators at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud parried her query about maternity leave with a query of their own: When did she conceive?

After Hamilton admitted that her child had been conceived about three weeks before her February 20, 2009, wedding, the school fired her.

Now she's suing in federal court.

A July 20, 2009, letter signed by school administrator Julie Ennis explains why the school's administrators thought they had to fire Hamilton:

"Jarretta was asked not to return because of a moral issue that was disregarded, namely fornication, sex outside of marriage," the letter reads. "The employment application, which she filled out, clearly states that as a leader before our students we require all teachers to maintain and communicate the values and purpose of our school."

The letter declares that sex outside of marriage is immoral and that other pregnant teachers have been able to remain employed with the school because they conceived within marriage.

source
​

While she has my sympathies, this is what happens when you work for an intolerant Christian organization: "Jesus forgives so we don't have to. And, it's our way or the highway, so happy job shopping. BTW, don't expect a favorable reference."

Yeah, don't you just hate it when people face consequences for violating the ethics clause in the contract they signed?

 

[mpok1519]

Dontchya hate it when the only job youcan find is to work for these loons?

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Not saying I don't believe you, but are you sure about that? Every teacher I know had security question during or prior to their interview, asking them whether they had ever been fired from a teaching position.

Maybe this varies from state to state.

I don't think it's legal to ask someone if they've been fired from a job - but perhaps that's different in the teaching field...although I honestly can't see the unions allowing it.

Most teachers I know talk about job security because of their union backing. Some of them absolutely hate where they work, but they know that getting fired is near impossible.

Dontchya hate it when the only job youcan find is to work for these loons?

What makes them loons? How is this different from a company putting forth a policy that you have to wear business suits to work? Or skirts? When you decide to work for a company, whether you agree with their policies or not, you agree to abide by them.

 

[silence_dogood]

I don't think it's legal to ask someone if they've been fired from a job

Yes, it's perfectly legal to ask someone about their employment history.

 

[Phylogeny]

double post

 

[Phylogeny]

What makes them loons? How is this different from a company putting forth a policy that you have to wear business suits to work? Or skirts? When you decide to work for a company, whether you agree with their policies or not, you agree to abide by them.

There are several differences:

1. The fact that she conceived her child 3 weeks prior to actual marriage does not interfere with her teaching abilities. An embezzler or someone who does not wear business suits to work, those things can affect productivity and endanger fellow co-workers.

2. The fact that this is her personal life and not work related and does not impinge on her ability to handle her job. Wearing a suit gives clients a good impression of the company. Conceiving a child 3 weeks prior to marriage will not be known to anyone except those the creepy, stalker parent that keeps track of their kid's teacher's menstrual cycle.

3. The fact that someone can be fired for having sex prior to marriage because it does not uphold the standards of a Christian morals yet I'm sure plenty of teachers, had the school asked and the teachers given honest answers, have committed more grave offenses.

Have they asked every teacher if they've taken the Lord's name in vain? Or forgot to observe the Sabbath? Aren't those also sins? Why, isn't the school going after those that swear or don't go to church every Sunday! Why is it that premarital sex so much worse than breaking one of the 10 commandments?

4. The fact that her act does not affect the image of her school and is done outside of work. It would be like if a noodle company says since eating noodles from Company B's workshop would produce a bad image for the company and so an employee is scrupulous about not eating Company B's noodles at work....but does it at home. The company would be stupid to fire her for besmirching the 'image' of the company since the employee did it in the privacy of her home.

The same would go for this lady. She did nothing that destroyed the image of the school. How would kids or parents know that she had premarital sex? A baby born three weeks premature is not unusual.



And finally, I think this is a horrible message to send to kids. If someone confessed to a sin, even if it does not affect their present state (i.e having had sex with her now husband three weeks prior to marriage), send them away? Does that mean I should send away my friend who used to be fat? Gluttony is a sin and even though she is no longer committing it and it bears no relevance to our present relationship, it's still a past sin she confessed to.

How much are you willing to be that other teachers have sinned as well? How many of those Christian teachers have had premarital sex? Or engaged in [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]? Or lied? Or been/is FAT? Or worked on the Sabbath?

If anything, this attitude will only convince people it's better to lie (and perhaps get an abortion!) because the truth will only set you free...from your job.

 

[Gishin]

I don't think it's legal to ask someone if they've been fired from a job - but perhaps that's different in the teaching field...although I honestly can't see the unions allowing it.

Most teachers I know talk about job security because of their union backing. Some of them absolutely hate where they work, but they know that getting fired is near impossible.



What makes them loons? How is this different from a company putting forth a policy that you have to wear business suits to work? Or skirts? When you decide to work for a company, whether you agree with their policies or not, you agree to abide by them.

Every job application I've filled out has asked me where I worked before and why I am no longer working there. They even ask for contact information of your former employer.

 

[max1120]

Did you miss the part where this was actually a CHRISTIAN religious school?

No I got that part of the post. However I still find it offensive. This is another excellent reason to oppose school vouchers. IF we ever allow for school vouchers where people can use tax money to send their children to these priviate schools, the schools should no longer be allowed to practice these sorts of offensive acts. They cannot have it both ways, if you want to be priviate fine, but if you take one penny of public funds you should be no longer allowed to act in such a shameful manner as this school has done. Just because they are a priviate school, and even if they can get away with doing it, this still does not make what they did right!

 

[PreachersWife2004]

Every job application I've filled out has asked me where I worked before and why I am no longer working there. They even ask for contact information of your former employer.

Right, but they didn't ask you if you got fired.

I looked at the EEOC while CF was acting wonky, and all they really address is discrimination on age, gender, race, religion, etc. I do remember that as a store manager I had to take a Labor law review class and we were told we weren't allowed to ask if a person had been fired. Granted, this was back in 1994, so maybe that's changed. And if someone called and asked us for a reference, all we could do was give them the time frame they worked for the company. We were not allowed to say if someone quit or was fired.

In my meanderings on the web looking this up, I also found many sites that give you creative ways to say you were fired, for when someone asks why you left the company.

But I think we digress. Are teachers really dropping like flies because they're getting fired and then not rehired?