A black woman loses her job as a teacher for having sex before marriage.
By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
The Bible was clear that we all fall short of the glory of God. He forgives us and we are supposed to have another opportunity get right in our lives. We have a new start through our faith in Christ, but what happens if our employer just isn’t as forgiving when it comes to our sins? In Jarretta Hamilton’s case, you could very well lose your job.
Jarretta Hamilton was a fourth grade teacher at a Christian elementary school in Florida. In 2009, Hamilton asked the school administrators, John and Julie Ennis, for maternity leave. It was during this conversation that Jarretta Hamilton admitted that the child has indeed been conceived before marriage, three weeks shy of the wedding ceremony.
Several days after she made her request for maternity leave, the school administrators informed Hamilton that instead of receiving her requested maternity leave, she instead would be let go, and relieved of her teaching duties. She was informed that she was being terminated for committing a sin and having sex before marriage. Hamilton revealed in court that Ennis said:
“There are consequences for disobeying the word of God.”
Hamilton hired an attorney, believing that the firing was really due to her request for maternity leave. Prior to the incident, administrators informed her that it would be better if she took off an entire year since it would be harder to replace a teacher for maternity leave during the school year.
A three judge panel of the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled that Hamilton’s lawsuit against the Southland Christian School, located in St. Cloud Florida, should go to trial. The trial would determine if Hamilton’s firing violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through pregnancy discrimination.
School officials maintain their original story of Jarretta Hamilton being fired for going against the morals of the Christian elementary school and fornicating.
Its crazy how Christians can be more judgmental than God himself. You really won’t reach people by being corrupted and hateful. I hope this woman wins her case.
The only reason why they made the today show is due to her husband being white.
Wow. That is absolutely ridiculous. I wonder if they knew her hubby was white? Hmm.
A damn shame.
Religious folks are the most evil kinds of folk. They are nothing like their leader. Such a contradiction and a disgrace to what God intended.