Teacher to sue after she is fired over premarital sex

Orlando Sentinel ^ | June 8, 2010 | Anika Myers Palm

[Mr. Bird]

Where they SO messed up was in the violation of the HIPPA laws in that they revealed medical information without her express permission

I do not believe the school is bound by HIPAA. PHI (Personal Health Information) is typically considered confidential info accessible by health care professionals, facilities, and insurance companies.

I don't believe the school is bound any more than your local hair stylist. If he asks you when you got pregnant, you tell him, and he tells his entire clientele, too bad for you.

The actual employment decision (to terminate) has some serious EEOC implications. But the HIPAA thing is a nonstarter. There could be violations of internal policies with such disclosures though.

[Reeses]

The question has a medical connotation to it, they had no right to ask it under HPAA laws.

Pregnancy is not a medical condition or disease.

[MrEdd]

I believe masturbation falls under the same morality code as pre-marital sex.

Was masturbation covered in the terms of the contract as well?

Is what you believe as important as to the agreement the two partied made prior to employment?

Do the terms of contracts matter in any way if one of the parties decides they don't like them anymore? Should the other party still be bound by the contract?

[from occupied ga]

The statement in bold, I will point out is an absolute and unavoidable requirement to achieve what you posted. Private medical information indeed.

are you really that ignorant? Do you really think that every child is born exactly 270 days post conception? Google the stats. I can usually ignore sanctimonius jackasses, but occasionally I'll see a sanctimonius horse's ass and I just can't help replying.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

What exactly about upholding Christian values in a Christian school do you not understand?

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Yes, it is amazing the number of idiots on here who will chastise a Christian school for maintaining Christian values.

Unfortunately, the "Christian values" of a lot of FReepers appear to amount to:

• Defending someone who fornicates and then tries to continue employment at a Christian school that lists opposition to that behaviour as one of their standards.

• Lying on employment applications

• Criticising people who actually stand up for biblical morality

• Pulling verses like "judge not, lest ye be judged yourself" completely out of context so as to try to use them in a way that is completely opposite to what the Bible actually intended.

It's sad how petulent, childish, and immature these folks are. Essentially, their argument is the 40-year old version of the five year old who pitches a fit when his parent doesn't ler him do something.

[VanDeKoik]

"The biblical injunction against fornication, ya think? Seriously, dude, this isn't rocket surgery..."

Conceiving a child weeks before getting married is "fornication"?

"Haven't heard of that sort of thing being slowballed in one of these Christian schools. I think you're thinking of the public schools."

Yeah...OK. I guess fingers in ears is also a "biblical" principal to be upheld too.

[Melas]

I hope she ruins some careers and walks away rich.

[My hearts in London - Everett]

Yeah, I can’t believe they went to the extreme of beheading her like they did! /s

[MarineBrat]

No ones business what goes on in the bedroom unless it is illegal, with a minor, or someone’s life was in danger.

What is "illegal" is defined by "the state," aka Barry Sotero. I thought we were all for the people's right to define morality? Private schools are run by private individuals, aka the people.

[scott7278]

Although the decision to engage in premarital sex while employed by a Christian school was unwise (as I believe all premarital sex to be), the school had no right under existing HIPAA law to ask the question regarding the pregnancy. They can’t even ask that of a person when being hired.

It sounds to me that the staff and parents were engaged in gossip, and so the school decided to assuage that sin by releasing the medical information. There is a greater problem in that school than just this pregnancy.

She’s at fault for deception, but the school broke the law. No one wins in a case like this.

[Genoa]

I think your arguments are spot-on, but in appearing to defend this school's churlish handling of the situation, you have picked a tough row to hoe.

[Stayfrosty]

I hope so too. People always point out the negative. At least she is married and taking care of her child. No one can live up to the glory of god. Not even the pope himself.

[MBB1984]

Sex police in people's bedrooms caused by a Christian school firing an employee who did not follow its values?

Police are employed by the government not a church. I will call you exceedingly irrational.

[Melas]

No one is upholding out of wedlock sex. However, once you get self-righteous prigs taking it upon themselves to interrogate pregnant women about the date of conception, you’ve gone waaaay too far.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

It’s funny how much of a hypocrite you are. Bust out the Talibanish rules. once you go down this road where does it stop? You allow this to stand you will have sex police in peoples bedrooms. Don’t laugh, this was actually considered in the church at one time. Jesus would not have approved of this. BTW - this is still no ones business and not her employers business either. Call me liberal call me what you will, but I guarantee you I am much more conservative than most freepers on here. This is just one of those issues that makes conservatives look like a bunch of talibans.

The problem with so much of Christianity today is liberals (and yes you are a liberal, and no, I doubt you are more conservative than most FReepers) such as yourself who can't stand to actually see people and organisations live by the rules they set for themselves.

Sex police in the bedroom? What kind of idiot child hyperbole is this? She was fired (private action) after she violated a stipulation in a contract (private action). Not too hard to figure out, eh?

You are a hypocrite. If you can't stand to see biblical morality lived in a Christian organisation, then you need to stop claiming to be a Christian.

[Osage Orange]

She is a teacher, so she should no better

ROFLOL!!!!

[Non-Sequitur]

When she conceived is nobody’s business.

School apparently disagrees with that.

[texan75010]

This is not about rules set for oneself, its about rules set for others. That is not Christianity. Christians obey by choice, not by law.

[Melas]

You don’t find asking a married, pregnant woman when she conceived to be morally repugnant and criminally invasive? I sure as hell do.