Teacher Fired For Having Sex Out Of Wedlock [Video]

» by Danielle Canada June 14, 2010, 11:57am

A Florida teacher is retaliating against her former school after she says she was fired from her position because she became pregnant out of wedlock.

39-year-old Jarretta Hamiliton was fired from Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Florida where she taught fourth grade after she asked for maternity leave.

The mother to a now 8-month-old baby girl says she met with the school's principal Jon Ennis to ask for time off but was questioned about when she conceived her child.

Hamilton and her husband Samuel Treftz appeared on the Today Show this morning and told Ann Curry that she was shocked by her former administrator's behavior.

“I was only requesting a standard six weeks maternity leave, and as the conversation progressed, he said, ‘I'm just trying to do the math here. When did you get married?' I said ‘Feb. 20'…He said, ‘Well, did you conceive prior to marriage?' I answered and I told him, ‘Yes.'”


Following that she says she received a letter of her termination from Principal Jon Ennis who wrote,

“Jarretta was asked not to return because of a moral issue that was disregarded, namely fornication, sex outside of marriage. The employment application, which she filled out, clearly states that as a leader before our students we require all teachers to maintain and communicate the values and purpose of our school.”


Hamiliton argues that the there was no morality clause in her contract and her privacy was violated after Ennis not only informed the entire school staff why she was fired, but called her student's parents with specifics as well.

She has since filed a lawsuit against the school.

Check out Hamilton and her husband on the Today Show below.

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  • Mabel

    I hope she is victorious in her lawsuit. How dare this prin*****l inform the staff and her student's parents about the reason for her firing.

  • Kitina

    It's a Christian school and it's important to lead by example. Tough, but true.

  • zoriansmom

    Now this is effed up why in the hell are the school administrators in her damn business? Her personal life is none of their business I cannot believe this!

  • jazz_mean

    Wow dats crazy, they just didn't want 2 give her time off

  • redbonekillbill

    I can see why the fired her based on the type of school it is, however if that was not in her employment contract and proceeded to inform people the reasoning for her firing she has every right to sue.

  • Eric

    Sorry Guys, This is a CHRISTIAN school. not a public school. They have much higher standards. That means the people there should act like christians...namely resisting sin. and as a school leader, she has to lead by example.

    This would be very diferent in a public school, because they have no stated christian (or other religious) mantra. would you knowingly hire a pastor that does not live by what he preaches?

  • http://teacher tyffanii

    She did nothing in moral to the students and she should not have been fired. If that's the case how many parents are devorced or had a child out of wedlock and mybe in a relationship with someone and they r fornucating will that child be kicked out of the school?

  • HK

    Its a Christian school. She was outta pocket BYE!

  • que

    I mean she did marry the guy..sheesh! But it is a Christian School so I can see them doing this.

  • Mal

    It might be a christian school, but that doesn't mean you get kicked out for sinning! If that's the case, that school wouldn't exist...

    I cold see it if she was pregnant & would have been a single mom, but marriage was already in the works when she got pregnant. In fact, *****ody would have been any the wiser if she hadn't said anything.

  • Kamee

    Does this school also teach of forgiveness, as is also a Christian Moral value. Just wondering.

  • GG

    Wonder if the woman had been white, would she had suffered the same fate?

  • Me

    Does this Christian School not practice forgiveness. Hmmm.

  • Hi_Man

    Actually i don't give a f*** she whatever she wanna do just in case she didn't hurts anybody.
    But it's a christian school and parents wanna raised their children in a certain way .
    My only question is : that is the real reason?

  • Doc

    I hope she gets a billion dollars

  • Gucci Princess

    So, all students & teachers born out of wedlock, has had children/parents/sibilings - out of wedlock, should also, be let go. The prin*****l is not GOD. He has committed a sin, by judging as well.
    Get it together ppl.

  • Whatever!

    Now that's ridiculous. They didn't fire nor did they charge those priest with molesting those young boys, they were protected and moved to another parrish to continue "DOING" God's work. They need to address and straighten that immoral mess before addressing this issue. What she does in the privacy of her home is her business. She didn't get pregnant by one of her students nor was she inappropiate at work so who freakin' cares. I bet those kids see far worst at home with their parents!

  • chrisdart

    Well, I hope that they're out there ready to crack down on all the lying, greedy, covetous, blended-fabric-wearing teachers on staff, too.

    Why is it that "Christians" focus so much on sins of the flesh and so little on sins that come from man's inumanity to man.

  • zoriansmom

    @T.Gee. Its not an excuse that some actually stay away from church because of critical people its a fact *****ody likes being judged or ridiculed even Jesus didn't do that in the bible there was a woman about to be stoned for the sin of adultery, Jesus said to the lynch mob about to stone her "he who is without sin cast the first stone" not one person threw a rock at her cause they weren't perfect either no one is. The teacher did marry even that Prin*****l was out of pocket to ask her when did she concieve that's none of their damn business.

  • Niia

    WTF !

    Racists *****es.

  • lj

    Every christian beleives that the minute you wake up you are a sinner and sins are equal so how in the world can you fire someone for sinning. It makes absolutely no sense.

  • zoriansmom

    @Daywalker. You seem anti female in your words you have a right to your opinions but I disagree. I am an employer for a global company and according to the Family Medical Leave Act a father can also use the six weeks off not just the mother of the child reason for this is many women who give birth are not able to move around and function normally so if the father is off work he can help her until she recovers. The real issue here I think is her superiors did not want her taking off for such a long period of time most employers don't like it they want you at work, so asking about her personal life which is absolutely none of their damn businesses is completely unacceptable on every level, I cannot imagine questioning my staff about when they concieved a child and when they married when an employee puts in for FMLA/disability those questions are not on the do*****ents and all the employer do is sign the forms and put them in your employee file that's it not ask when did you get married or when did you concieve?

  • BlackIsBeautiful

    This had nothing to do with her performance as a teacher.. this is about the fact that she was a black woman married to a white man and having a mixed race baby! That prin*****l looks and sounds prejudice!

  • John B

    It seems to me this is more a case of a school trying to dodge its financial obligation as well as a racist issue. First the prin*****l gets into her personal life and then dumps her. One has to wonder if the fact that her husband is white has more to do with this. "He slumped back in his chair when he was told she was pregnant". They were all ready married. Where's the shock? Married people do have children don't they? Sorry, this good, Christian school seems to be run by a hypocrite and a racist and above all else - A BUSY BODY GOSSIP! I hope she sues them for major bucks and gets every dime.

  • Snakee

    This lady will win her lawsuit. If her contract never said one thing about having children out of wedlock, and contracts are legally binding, than this sore a$$ prin*****l has it coming. I hope she gets every penny she deserves for the embarr*****ment she has had to go through.

  • jaye

    The type of school it is does not matter. The administration violated federal law by terminating this teacher.

  • dolly317

    Her they'll fire but catholic priests are merely transferred. Go figure.

  • THIS IS STUPID

    She got pregnant 3 weeks b4 they got married. How would the students even know that?

  • xiha’

    When I heard the story, the first thing I thought was it must be a christian school. It still seems a little extreme, sin is sin. The other employees may not have commited her sin but they have all sined, as we all have. But what about the part of religion that teaches forgiveness. If you are going to teach the Bible you can't just teach some parts and leave the other parts out.

  • Teressa Thompson

    This whole discussion shows that its human nature to judge. The prin*****l violated her civil rights on many levels. For the man who stated that she stay @ wk until a week b4 she has the baby; you should have to carry a baby, deliver and raise one. I bet u will SHUT UP then. Only speak of what u know. God chose women to give birth for a reason. She should have told him the baby was conceived when God saw fit! We are blessed with children by God. If he didn't approve; it would be. He breathes life into us

  • Nate

    Although this school is a christian school, It is governed by federal employment and EEO laws and as such has to abide by the rules. Furthermore, It is illegal to disclose details of a personnel administrative action. I think the Privacy Act also protects people and is applicable in this case too. The conversation between the prin*****l and his employee is a professional one and should be protected as "private in nature". Any other company would be exposed to a lawsuit in this instance.

  • Samantha

    I'm not at all "religious", but there is a serious breakdown in moral character in America and black America in particular. Way too many people think it's just fine to sit up and have babies out of wedlock.

    If you are a school teacher, or in any way influencing children you should NOT be getting pregnant and having a baby when your students know you are NOT married. What's with all this getting married AFTER the baby? If you're going to get married, go on and do it. What's the waiting all about?

    My goodness.. no one an ounce of self-respect anymore.

  • secondson

    Duh she knows that she is at a white christian school and they don't like her black azz. So she brings in a white husband she got just what she deserved. I don't like her myself. Ya got 5 kids already and your'e bringing a mongrel ***** ghetto as hell. they don't want that at the christian white school and this is racist redneck florida. No sympathy for this wench. I feel sorry for all the decent black people that are embar*****ed by her tawdry behavior. respect your people.

  • JCredible86

    She DESERVED it. You gotta be right when you work for GOD.

  • secondson

    by the way Federal Law does become a factor once you have 50 or more employees. Just saying. they made her out to be a harlot which is fact she did engage in that behaviour. too many white people involved in this for me, white prin*****l, white "christian" school, white husband (yuck) and a stupid black harlot. guess who loses....just saying.

  • http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2010/06/30/religious-freedom-gender-discrimination-and-pregnancy/ SmithCommaJohn

    From a moral standpoint, this school's actions are indefensible.

    But we can't discount their constitutional right to religious freedom. Just like free speech protects the rights of people with reprehensible beliefs, the right to religious freedom does the same.

  • Charlotta

    I believe that whatever an institution represents, it should stand by those standards. So, in this case, this would mean the teachers, staff, and administrators would have to follow the standards set forth by the sponsoring church of this Christian school (different churches have different standards). So, I get it, that they would not want leadership who does not live up to the standards. What I don't get, is why the prin*****l fell back in his chair just upon hearing about the pregnancy, before he new the conception date. This leads me to believe he had other issues with this relationship other than date of conception. On another note, she was only 3 weeks pregnant when she got married and so many babies are born weeks (even months) before the due date and are a good size and healthy. She could have said it was a "honeymoon" baby and totally gotten away with it.