Church can fire teacher living with boyfriend

Orange County Register ^ | 12/13/11 | Vik Jolly

[SmithL]

SANTA ANA – An appeals court has upheld the decision of a Tustin church to fire its preschool director for continuing to live while unmarried with her boyfriend with whom she had a child.

Sara Henry, who also taught preschoolers at the Red Hill Lutheran Church in Tustin, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the church following her dismissal in May 2009 for her living arrangements contrary to the religious beliefs of the church and its school.

[SmithL]

The Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana has upheld the decision of a lower court ruling in favor of Red Hill Lutheran Church of Tustin, pictured, to fire its preschool director, Sara Henry, for continuing to live while unmarried with her boyfriend with whom she had a child.

[SmithL]

A quick trip to their website confirmed that this isn't an ELCA congregation.

[circlecity]

"A quick trip to their website confirmed that this isn't an ELCA congregation."

I pretty much figured that. If it was an ELCA congregation they would be making her the head Pastor.

[Vigilanteman]

But don’t you feel all warm and fuzzy that a government court has so graciously allowed a church to practice what it believes in a personnel decision?

[bjorn14]

It seems the church was willing to look past a lot except that she willfully was living in sin. From the article: "According to the church, Henry's employment was terminated not because she had a baby out of wedlock, and not because she remained unmarried, but because she continued to live with her boyfriend in a sexual relationship while unmarried," the appeals court's three judges wrote in their opinion. She could could have kept her job if she married the guy. That's what sin is rebellion against G-d. WTG, Red Hill

[StonyBurk]

being it is Cal;ifornia I wonder if the Court would have made the same decision if they were a same sex couple?

[colorado tanker]

Wouldn't marrying the father of your child to keep your job be a good thing?

This chick must have some "issues."

[PapaBear3625]

Wouldn't marrying the father of your child to keep your job be a good thing? This chick must have some "issues."

Or perhaps she was figuring on collecting a payoff in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

[Gamecock]

A quick trip to their website confirmed that this isn't an ELCA congregation.

Some things are just self-evident. ;-)

[colorado tanker]

Looks like that ain’t gonna happen!

[SmithL]

Some things are just self-evident. ;-)

Yeah, knowing that they weren't ELCA was easy enough to figure out, just from reading the story. I was surprised when I found out that they were neither LCMS nor WELS.

[lightman]

Suprising that this ELCA congregation did the right thing.

Now if she would have been living with her girlfriend.....

[cloudmountain]

Sara Henry was teaching at a church school and living in sin, bearing a child out of wedlock.
She needs many prayers since she OBVIOUSLY has a badly malformed conscience or is just amazingly arrogant to think that she could get away with it.

[SmithL]

I read that they were LCMC. I assume they were formerly ELCA.

[DNA.2012]

G-d

Lightning won't strike you if you include the letter 'o' in the middle.

[M Kehoe]

Good evening.

Lightning won't strike you if you include the letter 'o' in the middle.

This is true. Depending on ones religion, it is also a sign of honor, respect, homage. You get the drift.

Welcome to FR.

5.56mm

[bjorn14]

It’s the old Jewish way to write G-d. The hyphen means infinite, everlasting, boundless, etc. Just my little tip of the hat to my boss’ heritage.

[eastforker]

Gee, I wonder how they got married in the old testament??Now you have to get a license from some goverment beurocrat to say I do and then hire a lawyer if you want out!