Miami teacher says Catholic school fired her for marrying woman
MIAMI -- A Catholic schoolteacher said she was fired for marrying the love of her life - a woman, CBS station WFOR-TV reports. Jocelyn Morffi was a first-grade teacher at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School in Miami.
She was terminated last week.
"This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result," Morffi said in a social media post on Friday. "In their eyes I'm not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner."
Principal Carlota Morales called Morffi's termination a "difficult and necessary decision" in a letter to students' parents dated Thursday.
"Today a difficult and necessary decision has been made regarding Ms. Jocelyn Morffi, our first-grade teacher," Morales said. "She is no longer teaching at our school. Please know that your child(children)'s education is of the utmost concern for us and throughout the next days and weeks your child's daily school routine will not be disrupted as Ms. Morffi's replacement will be selected very soon."
Morales didn't provide an exact reason for Morffi's termination.
Parents who spoke to WFOR-TV said they're upset about the school's decision.
"Completely outraged, distraught, disappointed that the school could and took the reaction and the course of action that they have in regards to Miss Morffi," parent Samantha Mills said. "She's like the Mother Teresa of teachers. She's been and has made such a big contribution to the school and investment. Our children adore her, so it's unfortunate that they would do this to such a great teacher."
According to the Archdiocese of Miami, Morffi had taught at the school for more than six years. The archdiocese said she was let go because she broke the contract she signed when she first started with the archdiocese.
The archdiocese would not say if Morffi had any previous disciplinary actions.
"Every year teachers sign contracts," a spokesperson for the archdiocese said in a statement. "In the contract are policies, procedures, teaching and the traditions of the Catholic church. That contract was signed and broken by her. No other decision could be made but to terminate her."
In 2013, Pope Francis spoke about his perspective on the gay community.
"If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him," the pope said.
Parents said they will continue to put pressure on the administration and the archdiocese to understand that the decision was unacceptable.
"We send our kids here because we want them to learn messages of love, and I truly believe that Jesus' message is about love, compassion and acceptance, and this is the opposite, and that's very upsetting," parent Rochelle Martin said.
Parents told WFOR-TV that a number of teachers who attended the wedding were given a warning. When the principal was asked about that, she referred the station to the archdiocese.
A spokesperson said they could not confirm or deny whether other teachers were warned, saying it's a personnel matter.
