Fla. School Dismisses Teacher for 'Fornication'

[one...two...tree 2,762]

guess nobody in the administration, teachers, etc. has never broken a commandment ...

I went to Christian school for much of my life before college. This would definitely be a tricky situation. The fact that she told them after she was already married, seems like they should have let it go. Obviously she wasn't visibly pregnant before her marriage while teaching classes or they would have noticed, right?

I do think at a Christian school with rules like this, they would fire a man for getting his girlfriend pregnant - if they found out. That one is much easier to hide though. But if the school is wanting to put forth a certain Christian image, they wouldn't want to be represented by teachers who aren't following their religious views to students. There is forgiveness though which should have been given to the teacher in my opinion, considering she was married now.

Forgiveness is a fundamental principle of Christianity.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

Sounds like BS to me.

butbutbut - it's in the conditions of her employment contract, so she knew what she was getting into and therefore must accept it.

Sounds like unfair conditions to me....

Mmmmmm...to know that for sure, you would need to know ALL the ins and outs of the contract. We DO know for sure about some of her ins and outs...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Mmmmmm...to know that for sure, you would need to know ALL the ins and outs of the contract. We DO know for sure about some of her ins and outs...

No you wouldn't. If the woman was fired for "fornication", as is alleged (something that has absolutely nothing to do with her professional performance), there is no way that any explicit contractual clause to that effect can be legal. It's blatant sex discrimination.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Mmmmmm...to know that for sure, you would need to know ALL the ins and outs of the contract. We DO know for sure about some of her ins and outs...

The Bible says that a man commits adultery every time he lusts after a woman. They should set up a polygraph and test all the men, starting with the school's bureaucrats.

[Heracles 417]

While the first amendment in the US says I can literally say anything, VJ is still allowed to have a TOS (a contract) which limits what I can say or not say. And can consequently ban me if I breach their TOS. Therefore, what difference is there in a private school dictating they want teachers of a certain moral character?

Otherwise, what stops someone racist from joining an organization like NAACP and then suing when found out to be racist and consequently fired. Should they be able to sue for unfair dismissal? That is, regardless of the fact that while they disliked AA, they joined an organization specifically for AA.

She was not fired because she was pregnant, she was fired because of her extracurricular actions. No different to being fired from a banking job, if caught stealing outside work.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Booyah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

While the first amendment in the US says I can literally say anything, VJ is still allowed to have a TOS (a contract) which limits what I can say or not say. And can consequently ban me if I breach their TOS. Therefore, what difference is there in a private school dictating they want teachers of a certain moral character?

Otherwise, what stops someone racist from joining an organization like NAACP and then suing when found out to be racist and consequently fired. Should they be able to sue for unfair dismissal? That is, regardless of the fact that while they disliked AA, they joined an organization specifically for AA.

She was not fired because she was pregnant, she was fired because of her extracurricular actions. No different to being fired from a banking job, if caught stealing outside work.

What on earth are you smoking? I ask because you'd have to be on something to think that that makes sense.

Employers can't do anything they like, there is such a thing as employment law you know. How ridiculous you can be sometimes

Edited June 14, 2010 by Its a MADHOUSE

[Heracles 417]

What on earth are you smoking? I ask because you'd have to be on something to think that that makes sense.

Employers can't do anything they like, there is such a thing as employment law you know. How ridiculous you can be sometimes

So then prostitutes and pedophiles should be able to get jobs as teachers? Vice versa, anyone charged with such offenses should not be fired then right? As per usual, Pike logic = fail.

Dude you have illustrated your disdain for religion before, so it's no surprise you are jumping on this like every other idiotic crusade you are on. Perhaps, I could even play the Pike angle and claim well how many teachers have been fired for similar reasons? Therefore, nothing to see move alone.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Booyah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So then prostitutes and pedophiles should be able to get jobs as teachers? Vice versa, anyone charged with such offenses should not be fired then right? As per usual, Pike logic = fail.

Dude you have illustrated your disdain for religion before, so it's no surprise you are jumping on this like every other idiotic crusade you are on. Perhaps, I could even play the Pike angle and claim well how many teachers have been fired for similar reasons? Therefore, nothing to see move alone.

The woman conceived a child before she was married. That hardly equates to the sort of criminal background checks that exist to preclude sex offenders from securing jobs working with children. Logic Fail? I'd say so.

It's one thread, BY - it's not a crusade. Don't get all hysterical.

[ScottThuy 140]

It all boils down to the Pregnancy Discrimination act which pretty much acts like a supplement to Title IV... Women who are pregnant or affected by pregnancy-related conditions must be treated in the same manner as other applicants or employees with similar abilities or limitations. She and her hubby will get paid and the school will settle before it goes to much farther...

A friend of mine wanted to hire someone for the christmas season a few years back... he posted the ad in August to get the person hired and trained before the holiday rush... he hired a young woman and she let him know at the start of Dec that she was taking the rest of the year off for maternity leave..he had no idea she was pregnant because she was very heavy. he was required to have a job for her when she came back.... we talked about this at great length after the fact and he decided that he would ask if anyone wwas pregnant before he hired them... I had to tell him he could not do that as it would create another legal situation... I dont blame him... he got screwed over by the employee as she knew she was pregnant and knew she was hired specifically for the holiday rush.... the law is the law.. pregnant women have a great deal of protections due to the pregnancy...

[Heracles 417]

Okay, my use of criminal actions was a bad example. People need to pay attention to details. She was not fired because she was pregnant but because of her behavior. No different to a teacher caught having an orgy and posting it online. It's no different to athletes having character clauses in their contracts and so forth.

Once again, is it okay for someone to get a job at a Jewish school, knowing all well they are Jewish, yet voice antisemitic views? While a number of amendments cover such a person's view, they should still be fired.

They're a religious school, not some corporation that can plan the firing to avoid such lawsuits.

Edited June 15, 2010 by Booyah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Okay, my use of criminal actions was a bad example. People need to pay attention to details. She was not fired because she was pregnant but because of her behavior. No different to a teacher caught having an orgy and posting it online. It's no different to athletes having character clauses in their contracts and so forth.

Once again, is it okay for someone to get a job at a Jewish school, knowing all well they are Jewish, yet voice antisemitic views? While a number of amendments cover such a person's view, they should still be fired.

They're a religious school, not some corporation that can plan the firing to avoid such lawsuits.

It doesn't matter what examples you use - they are still ridiculous.

This is a married woman who got pregnant before she got married. That's hardly equivalent to having an orgy. Nor is it equivalent to your bizarre racism examples.

The fact of the matter is that this isn't a job that's high in the public eye (hence it isn't subject to the sort of scrutiny that professional athletes and politicians are subjected to).

Bottom line BY - a person can write a contract that says anything that they want, you can even sign it if you want. That doesn't mean that the terms and conditions are ironclad under employment law. I'm not even convinced that there was an explicit "no fornication" clause in the woman's contract of employment (I expect there was some very general reference to moral character) - and even if there were, there is absolutely no way that it could be legal.

[Darnell 8,479]

what ? 'fornication' was covered ORALLY in the staff briefing?

ok - there ya go.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

what ? 'fornication' was covered ORALLY in the staff briefing?

ok - there ya go.

<begin Brooklyn accent>

So, we need to talk about gazintas... You know, dis gazinta here, and dat gazinta dere."

<end Brooklyn accent.

[Heracles 417]

Bottom line BY - a person can write a contract that says anything that they want, you can even sign it if you want. That doesn't mean that the terms and conditions are ironclad under employment law. I'm not even convinced that there was an explicit "no fornication" clause in the woman's contract of employment (I expect there was some very general reference to moral character) - and even if there were, there is absolutely no way that it could be legal.

I believe you are thinking of English law where, for example, you cannot exclude the courts in a contract. Furthermore, courts have the power to nullify a contract; regardless of what is written or how many times it's signed. This however is the US, where contracts carry a lot of weight and employees have about as much protection as do people in the third world.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I believe you are thinking of English law where, for example, you cannot exclude the courts in a contract. Furthermore, courts have the power to nullify a contract; regardless of what is written or how many times it's signed. This however is the US, where contracts carry a lot of weight and employees have about as much protection as do people in the third world.

It happens in the US too - Courts can and do overturn contract law if the terms of the contractual agreement are found to be unfair, or if one parties interpretation of them is unreasonable. Happens all the time.

Have you ever watched any of those Court TV shows?