Posted on 04/11/2012 9:44:41 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
ROCKWALL — Cathy Samford, a volleyball coach and science teacher, was fired from Heritage Christian Academy for getting pregnant and not being married, the school acknowledged.
"I looked it up and thought, 'They can't do this,'" said Samford, 29.
For almost three years, she coached volleyball at the private school. Samford was named "Coach of the Year" and recently began teaching science.
But when she got pregnant last fall, the school fired her because she was not married.
"We all have different views and interpretations," Samford said. "It's not necessarily the Christian thing to do to throw somebody aside because of those."
"You can't discriminate against someone who's pregnant or has a pregnancy-related medical condition," said Colin Walsh, her attorney. "That is both state and federal law."
But Heritage Christian said this case is not so simple.
"I understand some people that would say 'It's a heartless thing to do,'" said the school's headmaster, Dr. Ron Taylor. "It wasn't easy to do."
Taylor acknowledged that Samford could not get fired for an out-of-wedlock pregnancy in a public school. But HCA is a private, religious campus, and Taylor said the school considers teachers to be ministers, since they're allowed to share their beliefs in the classroom.
"The Supreme Court, as a matter of fact in the last month, has ruled 9-to-0 that a Christian school does have that right, because this is a ministry, so we have the right to have standards of conduct," Taylor added.
Taylor said Samford violated the morals clause in her contract and was not a "Christian role model" to her students.
"How's it going to look to a little fourth grade girl that sees she's pregnant and she's not married?" Taylor asked.
Mediation did not result in a resolution between the two parties. The school said it also refused to settle the case.
Taylor said HCA was contacted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding the firing.
Samford and Walsh said they're now considering legal action. The fired teacher and expectant mother said she did nothing wrong, and faces financial problems now, including giving birth without insurance.
/s
She signed a contract that probably had clear rules of behavior. My wife works at a private school and has a contract that has things like no drinking, no smoking, etc. There is no mystery, it is just a matter of honoring your word in the contract you agreed to.
Freep the poll at link.
Should Heritage Christian Acaemy have fired Cathy Samford for being unmarried and pregnant?
Right now it’s
Yes: 52%
No: 48%
I’m a Christian and I don’t believe this is right.
Christians beat their chest about abortion and contraception and then ostracize women who become pregnant out of wedlock.
So much for loving the mother and child...
And I doubt the fourth grader is going to know or care that she was or wasn’t married.
Oh noes! A Christian academy actually enforcing Christian morality among its own faculty?
What is this world coming to???
She should name her baby, Jesus.
Inb4 the father is one of her students...
And is it Christian to bring a baby into this world without a husband and the protection of marriage? Just watch Maurie every day to see the ridiculous results of disgusting behavior.
This is basically no different that Obummer trying to force the Christian organizations to provide and pay for abortions, birth control pills, etc., which run against their very dear teachings.
I hope this teacher stays fired because of a signed behavior code and cannot come back.
Anyone know is she was plannign on raising the kid herself, or putting it up for adoption? The school could have considered giving her a paid leave of absence for the rest of the year..
Wouldn’t it have been simpler for her to just get married.
I have no problem with them firing her but they should have kept her on until she had the baby so it was covered under insurance. Now the school will appear heartless.
This is a Christian school, and every school has a handbook that is handed out every year, to teachers. Among the many requirements is a "Morality Clause". This means, no drunken orgies, no drug use, don't molest students at home, do not be seen by students going into local bars, drinking in public, swearing in public - and many other items.
She knew she was in violation of the school policy - now seems shocked to see that the policy is being enforced. There are other schools with lower standards out there; but is seems pretty hypocritical to tell young teenage girls not to have sex, or to use birth control - then have an unwed and pregnant teacher as a role model.
What if she was raped and decided to keep the baby? Should she be punished? Your sense of morality is full of holes and you also know nothing about the circumstances here.
“Christians beat their chest about abortion and contraception and then ostracize women who become pregnant out of wedlock.”
All too often, which in turn inclines the mother in the direction of an early abortion and life with a guilty secret.
So. You would have no problem with sending your child to a school with hypcrites for teachers?
“Christians beat their chest about abortion and contraception and then ostracize women who become pregnant out of wedlock.”
I guess your solution would be for us to just shut up about abortion and contraception.
Hoo boy.
Best comment of the day.
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