Jarretta Hamilton, Teacher Fired For Having Premarital Sex, Sues Southland Christian School (VIDEO)

A Florida teacher is suing the private school that fired her for having premarital sex.

Jarretta Hamilton, a former fourth-grade teacher, appeared on the "Today" show Monday to talk about her lawsuit against Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Fla.

Hamilton was fired in 2009 after going to school officials to ask for maternity leave. Hamilton, who is married, was asked by school officials about the date she conceived. When she explained that it was three weeks before her marriage to her husband, school officials decided to fire her. Hamilton, they argue, broke school policy to "maintain and communicate the values and purpose of [Southland Christian School]."

Hamilton is suing the school in federal court and is seeking "compensation for the loss of the job, and she's seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress," according to the Orlando Sentinal.

Recounting her story to Ann Curry, Hamilton and her husband explained that what bothered them the most was that school officials told colleagues and parents of students that Hamilton was fired for fornicating.

A letter from Southland Christian obtained by NBC News says that
"Jarretta was asked not to return because of a moral issue that was disregarded, namely fornication, sex outside of marriage."

The school asks that Hamilton drop her case and "consider the testimony of the Lord."

WATCH: Hamilton's interview on "Today"

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Comments

[NatTurner1]

01:26 PM on 08/02/2010

I'm a preachers kid, so I have it on good authority that organized religion is for the birds!

[CMarks]

10:47 AM on 07/29/2010

Don't you just love those Christians? They are all so free of sin that they don't hesitate to violate the teachings of the bible when it says to not stand in judgement of others. I fear that this poor woman is going to lose her lawsuit but it is my hope that she doesn't and is awarded a settlement large enough to close down this school. Someone has failed to teach these Christian educators the true meaning of Christianity and forgiveness. And personally I don't think it's about bigotry, racism or sexism (although the most likely of the three) but about a "holier than thou" attitude held by the administrators.

[MCWAY]

10:48 AM on 06/23/2010

Correction: It's a bit tough to discriminate on gender when ONLY four of the members are actually men (and two of them are either black or Hispanic).

[MCWAY]

10:46 AM on 06/23/2010

It appears that, for all the blubbering about racism and gender discrimination/sexism, the people engaging in such, neglected to check out the makeup of the school's faculty.

That is, at least a third of their staff is either black or Hispanic. Plus, it's a bit tough to discriminate on gender, when four of the members are actually men (and two of them are black or Hispanic).

[Mike4Brad]

08:39 PM on 06/22/2010

Someone ask Mr. Ennis about one of his male coaches that had a gay relationship before getting married. Mr. Ennis is a bigot and is treating her differently because she is a woman and Black. Anyone who has ever had much contact with him knows he is a Hypocrite.

[Quequegs]

01:22 PM on 06/16/2010

I find it extremely interesting how the school's policies conveniently ignore the bible's teachings on forgiveness and mercy. What they did was the new equivalent to the old testament dragging the adulterous woman out to be stoned. "Let ye among you who have not sinned cast the first stone". Also in that passage, it states that the woman was "caught in the act". Again conveniently the person she was "caught" with was not punished in this way.

Now I make that statement following the logic of the school's policies, but bringing it into the 21st Century, their policies are just like this passage by only acknowledging the females part in this case. Which by today's standards are sexist and illegal. They're policies can't impose on a person's civil rights.

They need to pay up!

[blueballs]

06:39 AM on 06/16/2010

Would it have killed her to lie?

[mollybeejay]

09:50 PM on 06/16/2010

Yes. This to me shows a woman of character, the fact that she did not lie about it. Then the idiot principal fired her and then sent a letter to the parents telling them why. Who is showing character in this charade and who is not?

[emmeaki]

02:55 AM on 06/16/2010

There is no way I would have even answered the question. It's just as invasive as asking what sexual position you were in when the child was conceived.

[Quequegs]

01:27 PM on 06/16/2010

I agree, it was none of his business but the fact that she was truthful speaks to here character, of which was also conveniently ignored.

[osusana]

07:39 PM on 06/15/2010

Interesting - just look at the difference in the comments on this same story on the Faux News website:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/09/fla-christian-school-fires-teacher-fornication-claims/?test=latestnews#commenting

[JasonMcl]

08:19 PM on 06/15/2010

"A new bride is just like a new car. It is always wise to give each one a spin around the block before making the purchase."

OMG, SOMEONE ON A FOX NEWS WEBSITE SAID SOMETHING TRUTHFUL!

It's amazing that there are actually a few supportive comments there and not too many mentions of stonings and such. Maybe there is some hope for them yet.

But yeah, the rest of those comments and even the story itself is dripping with bias. I suppose ours would seem that way to the foxers as well.

[LeftRight]

08:31 PM on 06/15/2010

Probably. The primary difference is that there's more of them allowed here than us allowed there....

[JasonMcl]

08:48 PM on 06/15/2010

"Nominal Christians love to talk about forgive and forget... but sin has consequences."

HAHA, this person just radiates a christ-like aura.

"There's a civil war coming in this Country ... all one has to do is look at blogs like this one to see the moral and ideological divide that continues to grow between the liberals and conservatives/independents"

This enlightened fellow would like you to all know that all independents are on the side of the conservatives and the liberals are off alone.

"Private school is tough, and public school allows commies to teach... "

Indeed. I recall singing the soviet anthem and making macaroni hammers and sickles in my wee years.

"Above all else the courts and obama and his liberal thugs must stay out of it,this is a private school base on religeon as it's foundation,let them find theirselves."

This person has an amazing understanding of government. You see, in a few days from now, the school's administrators will be brought before the white house to stand in front of obama's throne and then he, scepter in hand will pass judgement or maybe extract a pound of flesh in pennance.

Thanks a lot for this link osusana was certainly entertaining!

[osusana]

09:35 PM on 06/15/2010

"Indeed. I recall singing the soviet anthem and making macaroni hammers and sickles in my wee years."

I will see visions of little macaroni hammers & sickles in my sleep. I must say it was sort of entertaining to spend a few minutes on that site....in a creepy sort of way!

[LeftRight]

09:53 PM on 06/15/2010

"Indeed. I recall singing the soviet anthem and making macaroni hammers and sickles in my wee years."

You mean that not everyone used to do that?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[juhar]

06:28 PM on 06/15/2010

Question. Do the supporters of Southland think that Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol Palin who were both pregnant before marriage shouldn't be allowed to teach or influence children ever?

I can only hope so.

[MCWAY]

07:50 AM on 06/16/2010

Answer: They should be allowed to do so, providing they meet the requirements that their jobs demand.

Of course, lost on you (and 90% of the liberals, wailing against Southland) is that Hamilton was fired FOR ENGAGING IN PRE-MARITAL SEX on the school's dime, AFTER signing a contract that she would adhere to the school's moral conduct rules.

Why is that simple concept so hard for some folks here to grasp?

[LeftRight]

10:38 PM on 06/16/2010

Of course, lost on you is the fact that there's NO WAY THEY COULD HAVE LEGALLY KNOWN THAT SHE WAS ENGAGING IN PREMARITAL SEX!!!!

Therefore firing her for breaking that rule was illegal!

[serafemme]

12:46 PM on 06/18/2010

wait. she was "on the school's dime" while in her own home? interesting. the school pays her not simply for teaching, but for everything she does in what would otherwise be considered her "off" hours? so, essentially, now that she's married, the school has been paying her for sexual congress with her husband? doesn't that make the school ... well ... a pimp, of sorts?

i'd like to see that contract, however. link?

[Buford]

06:26 PM on 06/15/2010

Can I start a company wherein it's a firing offense to observe a moment of silence before eating or to say 'Bless you' when someone sneezes... because those are two things that really offend my secularity. I don't want their religion shoved down my throat like that!

[MCWAY]

07:51 AM on 06/16/2010

Yes, you can! Of course, the odds of you gaining any long-term employees are slim and none.

[Magick1]

05:18 PM on 06/15/2010

Wonder what happens to teachers there that have episodes of personal sexual indulgence.

[stayinschool]

05:05 PM on 06/15/2010

The way the principal handled this sounds so personal! Was he jealous of their relationship? I wonder if there's more to this because he wanted to genuinely ruin her standing in the community.
(And if this guy digs around, I'll bet some of his political heroes couldn't stand up to this moral code!)

[Susan99]

04:38 PM on 06/15/2010

I'm wondering if she signed some sort of contract agreeing to such stipulations... who knows, maybe teachers at that school get paid more for agreeing to such school rules. If not, then the school really shot themselves in the foot.
There's a difference between one's own private life and deliberate actions which could negatively influence students at the school.
I'm with SaquaroSue below... glass houses, baby.

[SaquaroSue]

04:55 PM on 06/15/2010

Let's say she did. Let's also say that such a provision is not found in violation of the Federal anti-discrimination laws, which apply to ANY employer with over 50 employees, private school or not. If they get past those two hurdles, they'd still be faced with the issue of consistency of enforcement. If each and every employee has not been questioned about this issue, if the lawyer can find even one employee there with non-matching wedding and birth certificate dates, the school is toast. I personally would bet on them being toast.

And the publicity when all their own skeletons are dragged into daylight, is not going to be pretty for them.

[Magick1]

05:15 PM on 06/15/2010

According to the article in the Florida paper, there was no contract. It was school policy, but where that policy is found and when it was made is not stated. It is a secular school with public funding so anti-discrimination laws should apply. Also, the fact that they revealed information as to the cause of dismissal to others not involved can be an issue for a law suit.

[Bike Commuter]

05:53 PM on 06/15/2010

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the school stated the terms were on her employment application. That may or may not be true.

I do not know about the claim that Magick mentions that they have public funding. I have not seen that. They don't sound like a secular school to me.

They appear to be under total 50 employees as the profile online indicates only 13 teachers.

A private religious school is allowed to set certain standards, this being one of them (I have seen other similar cases in recent years). Inconsistent enforcement could be an issue, but with only a handful of teachers it may never have come up before.

[MCWAY]

07:52 AM on 06/16/2010

Yes, she did, according to the school officials. Plus, it's part of the job application, as well.

[Bike Commuter]

10:12 AM on 06/16/2010

Actually, the claim that she signed a specific morality clause appears to be unsupported. In the major news reports, the school is claiming that it was covered by the application. According to the school's documents responding to the suit, it is students who are required to sign a conduct code. From what I can find, that code does not specficly cover this point.

The wording in the application is apparently along the lines of "portray the views of the school". There was clearly nothing outlining anything this specific. Since it is pretty well established that religious schools can dismiss teachers in this way, the reason for the lawsuit appears to be for the very fact that the school didn't have a morals clause and didn't let her know that they took it this seriously. That is based on things her lawyer has said.

Based on that, there is at least a chance that she would have a case. If she can rightfully claim they did not indicate it was a problem, then it becomes their fault for not telling her. That depends on many specifcs about the school and her employment that nobody on this board knows.

[the964kid]

04:35 PM on 06/15/2010

She's definitely getting paid, as well she should. Not only is the supposed rule ridiculous, but the school was extremely unprofessional for sending letters to the parents describing the details of her dismissal.