Teacher fired for premarital sex?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Alumiyum

Yeah but there's always the fact that firing a woman for sinning isn't very Christian. I DO think a lot of these schools/organizations really miss the point of Christianity and Jesus's teachings when they do things like this. Hate the sin, not the sinner and all that.

That's your opinion of what is Christian. My opinion of what is Christian is different.

Christians will never all agree on what it means to be "Christian," but an employee at such a school is signing up for whatever the school sees as "being Christian." The employees don't have to agree in their personal lives as long as it doesn't cross the lines into the school--and a baby before wedlock does that.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

That's your opinion of what is Christian. My opinion of what is Christian is different.

Christians will never all agree on what it means to be "Christian," but an employee at such a school is signing up for whatever the school sees as "being Christian." The employees don't have to agree in their personal lives as long as it doesn't cross the lines into the school--and a baby before wedlock does that.

Jesus was a pretty articulate guy, according to the bible. There's a difference between understanding that something someone did is sinful and judging that person for what they did.

I am in the position in my personal life of subscribing to no religion in a family where Christianity is absolutely part of the fabric of daily life, so though I don't necessarily believe in any religion I am sympathetic to the bad rap Christians often get, and I wish organizations would try the Jesus route whenever they get a chance. 18 years of Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and Bible studies rubbed off on me enough to know He taught patience and forgiveness, not judgment.

[DrPhil]

Christianity has different denominations partially because of different interpretations and approaches to Christianity. Therefore, this isn't about discussing Christianity and WWJD but instead about what it means to sign a contract (that I assume people read before they sign) for a private (insert any religion) school.

[Senusret I]

Does the Bible admonish Christians to obey the laws of the land, or is that just the Quran?

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Does the Bible admonish Christians to obey the laws of the land, or is that just the Quran?

There's the whole render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's thing.

And Romans 13: 1-7 (NIV I believe)

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

[AlphaFrog]

As someone who attended an albeit liberal Christian school I think the school was in the right. They have rules and they were enforcing them. My school didn't allow teachers to marry someone who was divorced without an annulment. It made for a set of teachers who had been "dating" 20+ years while I was in school, but whatever.

[nittanygirl]

3 months before I would understand....
but 3 weeks? no one would have ever even known she conceived 3 weeks before her wedding had the man not asked her. Its unethical. I don't go around asking pregnant women when they conceived just when they are due. And out of curiosity.

[indygphib]

Hey, public schools pull this crap, too. The school where I had my first teaching job had a "morals clause" as a part of the contract, and did the school board looooooooove to point it out to the teachers.

Not only were we not supposed to do the nasty unless we were married, drinking was highly frowned upon as well. Example: A teacher and his wife went to a local tavern for dinner. He ordered a beer with his dinner and one of the school board members saw it and went off on him - IN THE RESTAURANT. Was the teacher trashed? Absolutely not - it was ONE BEER. But the school board member yelled at him for "being a bad example" for students. Um, this place was a 21+ establishment...and what was the board member doing there if the place was such a bad influence in the community?

I only lasted two years in that hellhole...

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by indygphib

Hey, public schools pull this crap, too. The school where I had my first teaching job had a "morals clause" as a part of the contract, and did the school board looooooooove to point it out to the teachers.

Not only were we not supposed to do the nasty unless we were married, drinking was highly frowned upon as well. Example: A teacher and his wife went to a local tavern for dinner. He ordered a beer with his dinner and one of the school board members saw it and went off on him - IN THE RESTAURANT. Was the teacher trashed? Absolutely not - it was ONE BEER. But the school board member yelled at him for "being a bad example" for students. Um, this place was a 21+ establishment...and what was the board member doing there if the place was such a bad influence in the community?

I only lasted two years in that hellhole...

That's ridiculous...I don't think a teacher should be getting trashed in public but it is ridiculous to be like that about one beer. Damn. I don't think I would have lasted two years...

[WinniBug]

Originally Posted by indygphib

Hey, public schools pull this crap, too. The school where I had my first teaching job had a "morals clause" as a part of the contract, and did the school board looooooooove to point it out to the teachers.

Not only were we not supposed to do the nasty unless we were married, drinking was highly frowned upon as well. Example: A teacher and his wife went to a local tavern for dinner. He ordered a beer with his dinner and one of the school board members saw it and went off on him - IN THE RESTAURANT. Was the teacher trashed? Absolutely not - it was ONE BEER. But the school board member yelled at him for "being a bad example" for students. Um, this place was a 21+ establishment...and what was the board member doing there if the place was such a bad influence in the community?

I only lasted two years in that hellhole...

A coworker of mine (in the public school system) wouldn't even go to a liquor store to buy wine or what-have-you to COOK with because she didn't want someone from church or a parent to SEE her there.

NOW, I teach at a Catholic school and it's a whole different ballgame! Us Catholics, we're such lushes..lol

[agzg]

I wish MC, SCOGC Chief Justice would come in and school us about this.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by agzg

I wish MC, SCOGC Chief Justice would come in and school us about this.

LOL. My "schooling" would be that it is almost impossible to make any kind of informed judgment based on a news article. Even if one assumes that the article got every detail it reported right (an assumption I would never make), there are too many unanswered and important questions. For example:

• Exactly what did the contract say?
• Does language in the employment application constitute part of a contract? If so, what exactly does it say?
• Exactly what are the teacher's claims in her lawsuit?
• Is "fornication" really the reason she was fired or was that a pretext, say, to avoid the expense of maternity leave?

[SWTXBelle]

I teach at a private Christian school.
We sign a contract that says we will live according to Christian principles - I'll try to find my contract (!) and quote the exact language, but it is vague.

eta - "The letter killeth."

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Also I don't think there's anti-discrimination law that covers "sex outside of marriage" and she wasn't fired because she was pregnant but because she got pregnant.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act covers you once you become pregnant regardless of whether or not it is before or after marriage.

“We request that Jarretta withdraw her complaint and consider the testimony of the Lord,” the letter concludes.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act covers you once you become pregnant regardless of whether or not it is before or after marriage.

Yes, but their argument is that they wouldn't fire any pregnant woman, they'd fire any woman who had sex before marriage and her queries around maternity leave was only the way they found out about her "inappropriate" behavior.