A former Florida teacher said the administrators of a Christian school where she was employed fired her because she became pregnant just before her wedding, MyFoxOrlando.com reported.
Now, she has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the private school in St. Cloud, Fla.
Jarrestta Hamilton said April of 2009 was the happiest month of her life. She was a newlywed and newly pregnant and teaching fourth graders at Southland Christian School. She said it was about that time when she approached by the administration to talk about "maternity leave."
She said when asked, she admitted that the baby was conceived three weeks before the wedding. A week later, she said the school fired her. Attorney Ed Gay is helping Hamilton sue the school, claiming that her termination amounts to discrimination based on her pregnancy and marital status.
"If they're going to single her out because she conceived prior to marriage, but allow people to remain employed who conceived during a marriage, isn't that discriminating against her based on her marital status?" asked Gay, according to MyFoxOrlando.com.
Its a private business so yes they should be able to fire anyone who does something that does not line up with their beliefs.
She was not doing anything illegal nor trying intentionally to harm the school. She should sue them.
She was not doing anything illegal nor trying intentionally to harm the school. She should sue them.
Private business. As far as I'm concerned, they can fire her for whatever reason they want. Hell, they don't even need a reason.
The school is a private business and therefore have the right to fire anyone that does not conform to their standards.
I think they have the right to do so. If their goal is to educate children with a Christian education then they should be able to fire workers for having affairs and other things. My university does this, it's affiliated with a Christian denomination and faculty who break rules (like having affairs) are fired. They agree to those terms when they take the job.
The lady was getting married.
That still doesn't make it right. Premarital sex is premarital sex even if someone is engaged. As a Christian school I'm sure they want to represent Christ and not have faculty that sleep around and do things that are considered sins by their denomination. It would be like an Islamic school firing a teacher for converting to Christianity. They have the right to do so sense they want Muslims teachers teaching at an Islamic school.
Sorry but individual rights trump a business' rights IMHO. After all individual rights are what makes this a great nation.
I see it as a conflict btwn individual rights and a business' rights for me individual rights almost always win out. The lady in question was doing nothing intentionally to harm the school. I also see your view very short sighted. A school that adheres so strictly to such rules could lose a great math teacher that students actually learn from. This is also a disservice to the students.
I see it as a conflict btwn individual rights and a business' rights for me individual rights almost always win out. The lady in question was doing nothing intentionally to harm the school. I also see your view very short sighted. A school that adheres so strictly to such rules could lose a great math teacher that students actually learn from. This is also a disservice to the students.
But the individual chose to accept the terms of employment. Policy is policy and the woman violated what she agreed to.
How is my opinion short sighted?
Some places require a dress code or a uniform, is it wrong to fire employees for breaking company policy in regards to dress codes?
No individual has a right to be employed by any specific employer. Being fired doesn't violate any rights.
I did not say being fired in and of its self was a violation of her rights. I'm saying the reason she was fired was a violation of her rights.
It was not a violation of her rights. No one has a right to a job.
Again Florida is an "at will" state. They can fire you for any reason at any time, period.
I did not say being fired in and of its self was a violation of her rights. I'm saying the reason she was fired was a violation of her rights.
I did not say she had a right to a job.
How can they violate an individuals rights when that said individual agrees to something? If anything she exercised her rights as an individual to agree to terms of employment. Her rights were not violated, in essence they were exercised.And some terms of employment are blatantly a violation of individual rights. Say a term for employment was one could only eat cheesecake on Tuesday. That is a violation of rights and this this ladies rights were violated.
That doesn't matter, she violated her terms of employment. You can disagree with the school's policy but that doesn't mean that it's a violation of her rights or that the school has no legality to fire her.Like I said the school might have lost one of their best teachers.
Not necessarily true. She agreed to her terms of employment which meant living by Christian morals to be employed by a Christian school. She has the freedom to do what she wants as an individual, but there are also consequences that come along with that. As an individual she agreed to the terms of employment, and as an individual she violated them and was fired.That is on duty and well within the business' right. Off duty one can what ever the heck they want to.
Then please explain what right was violated?
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