Posted on 06/09/2010 10:00:05 AM PDT by inflorida
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.
"She wants compensation for the loss of the job, and she's seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress," said Edward Gay, Hamilton's attorney who filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Orlando.
In the complaint, which asks for a trial by jury, Hamilton alleges her termination was based on the fact of her pregnancy — and that the school offended her by disclosing the information about when she conceived to other school staffers and the parents of students Hamilton taught during the 2008-2009 school year.
Hamilton did not authorize the school to reveal that information, according to the complaint.
She also tried to keep the matter from getting to this point, Gay said. She filed discrimination charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations, but has since exhausted her options.
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
You applying for the job? / ;)
I smell a lawyer in the woodpile and the temptation of revenge upon the school.
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.
I don’t think the school should have gone to the length of counting the days. She did get married shortly thereafter, so when the child was born, it was legitimate.
It may interest people to know that a study of early records indicate that a large number of pregnancies in the colonial US and even into the 19th century were “out of wedlock” and that people often got married after the pregnancy was confirmed. Hence, the “shotgun wedding” once dear old Dad found out about it.
But they did the right thing and the kids grew up just fine, with a mother and a father; what’s a couple of months when you’re an embryo?
I don’t think she should sue, but on the other hand, I think the school made itself ridiculous by consulting its handy 9-months-to-the-day calendar.
“This is the kind of BS that turns people off from the party.”
You’re right. Seems like we should be happy about the fact that she chose not to abort and married the father (a little belatedly, I admit, but come on folks!).
I don't - they should have kept their collective mouths shut and just say that her firing was a private matter, instead of releasing medical info.
I thought hippa just covered doctors and insurance companies. I’ll have to research that a bit further.
Really?
In the complaint, which asks for a trial by jury, Hamilton alleges her termination was based on the fact of her pregnancy — and that the school offended her by disclosing the information about when she conceived to other school staffers and the parents of students Hamilton taught during the 2008-2009 school year.
Thank you!!! Well stated!
It is a private school. They can do what they wish to do.
I suspect you have lots of problems with late fees, utillities cut off, and like Obama you always claim it is someone else's fault.
For the rest of us three weeks is a large and easily identified chunk of time.
I agree, on that count. By telling the other parents and teachers, the school probably violated the law concerning privacy. They did nothing wrong, however, in firing her for the infraction itself.
You had better get a bigger platform, Mr. self righteous.
The legally binding contract had a morality code, sexual immorality, which is any sex outside of marriage including but not limited to masturbation.
So are we going to pick and choose who we fire or are we going to uphold this Christian standard across the board? When are they going to query the faculty about this and fire them?
If we are going to have standards, then let’s have standards. To hell with mercy, grace and forgiveness.
ping for crazy.
We need to have sex police, and moral enforcers... hmm that sounds familiar... I think the Taliban had these and posted them in bedrooms. It’s funny how the religious christian right sometimes has some of the same ideas as the extreme Islamic right. Funny isn’t it?
That would be interesting, my undertanding is that HPPA covers many businesses and many situations.
I could be wrong, it’s happened a time or two in the past :)
Your clairvoyance is 180-degrees backwards.
My bet is your such an idiot you actually carry credit card debt, don't you?
My kids go to a private Christian school, and I think the school was wrong to ask. If she was 4 months pregnant and unmarried, then I think the school has grounds, or if she was living with a boyfriend out of wedlock.
Plus, she’s married and handling the situation responsibly.
Let’s not forget that all have sin and fallen short of the glory of God.
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