Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Howard S. Dunn on March 6, 2010 at 10:04pm

I had a friend who taught in a Montessori school. He had a frikkin' PhD. Unfortunately, it was in the classics. Nobody really needed anyone who could recite Homer from memory in the original.

In any case, he had hair to his shoulders. This was in the eighties. He was (he has since died) kind, gentle, intelligent, funny, and incredibly educated. But one day, one set of parents complained because of his hair. His frikkin' hair. He was asked to resign. They admitted it was wrong and illegal as well to fire him - but they couldn't afford to lose income. Of course, he 'did the right thing' and left. That kind of shot sucks - but at least he was free - no further threat remained.

If she ever threatens legal action against you - threaten the mother of all counter suits and tell her she is lucky you didn't unleash on her in the first place. Be the wild eyed, satanic atheist she expects. Tell her that there are rich atheists everywhere who are happy to pay for legal aid to take down bitches like her. Tell her that Satan has the best lawyers and she's gonna be preaching on a street corner somewhere before you're done with her if she even thinks of taking legal action against you. Use a lot of vulgar words - but no threats of violence and don't raise your voice. Tell her that the conversation is being recorded for quality assurance.

Me, I use a nom-de-plum online. No sense anyone knowing my real name unless I get paid for what I write. (Although, I'm pretty sure you could find it here in a couple of posts.)

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Nicole on March 8, 2010 at 12:50am

It's only required that someone involved know that they're being recorded. Since she's bringing in the instrument, she's aware of it, so it is admissible. However, they may claim entrapment, which is its own can of worms.

Permalink Reply by Creature on March 6, 2010 at 10:51pm

Seems like talking to some sort of legal counsel first would probably be best. I hope that at least someone you've been referred to is able to help out as far as that goes. I wish you the best of luck in whatever route you wind up taking.

Permalink Reply by Leigh K on March 6, 2010 at 11:19pm

That is so wrong. I'm so sorry. I hope maybe the ACLU or perhaps EEOC could help you. You didn't say anything derogatory about her school, we can't even tell which school you're talking about, don't let her bully you into deleting it. I think she may have overstepped her bounds a great deal here. Unless "theism" is in the job description, I think you may have a case, but then again, why the hell would you want to work with that anyway? And frankly, that she googled you at all seems like she went looking for a reason to fire you and she (to her mind) found one. I hope she reads this, too.

Permalink Reply by Little Name Atheist on March 7, 2010 at 6:51am

I think you may have a case, but then again, why the hell would you want to work with that anyway?

International recession? Double digit unemployment in the US? Jobs are hard to come by in some places.

Permalink Reply by Leigh K on March 7, 2010 at 11:34am

I understand that, Grundg, I too am unemployed and I have a college degree in Anthropology. I took a low paying job of similar rank in a public school, as a teacher's aide in their social studies classes. I was talking to a student who said "I don't believe we come from monkeys!" I explained we don't, but that we are primates, and monkeys are distant cousins, not our grandparents, and that we are 98% identical genetically to chimpanzees. At no time did I mention the word evolution or discuss religion or anything else. Well the head teacher didn't like that, but she didn't like me anyway. That was just fuel for her fire, and she ended up complaining about me so much that I got fired. They said I was let go for "performance reasons" because I sat down too much in the classroom. There wasn't much chance of making a case of my experience. So LIT's situation is very close to my heart. I stand by my comment that she deserves a better work place and I hope she finds it.

Permalink Reply by Eagle Ashcroft on March 7, 2010 at 3:46pm

Quote: Reply by Leigh K 16 hours ago
That is so wrong. I'm so sorry. I hope maybe the ACLU or perhaps EEOC could help you. You didn't say anything derogatory about her school, we can't even tell which school you're talking about, don't let her bully you into deleting it. I think she may have overstepped her bounds a great deal here. Unless "theism" is in the job description, I think you may have a case, but then again, why the hell would you want to work with that anyway? And frankly, that she googled you at all seems like she went looking for a reason to fire you and she (to her mind) found one. I hope she reads this, too.

She most certainly has a case. I was a former officer of two different court systems for years and a member of several civil rights groups and I know first hand this woman's boss broke the law when she was fired for expressing her non-religious beliefs over the net. She can sue her through the ACLU or an attorney and win hands down and her boss can and probably will be arrested under the civil rights act and if convicted have to give her all her back pay for every day she was out of work as well as pay a hefty fine and may even either be given jail time or be put on supervised probation and could well loose her job too. It is the law, I did not make this up. This woman should and must report her former boss to the proper authorities because her former boss is a criminal and her criminal actitives must be stopped before she becomes an habitual criminal and escallates to more serious crimes. For once a criminal gets away from doing one crime they feel powerful and will often do more serious crimes.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on March 6, 2010 at 11:47pm

I'd be interested to see if there's a case here and where it goes. I really don't think there's a free speech issue since it's a private school. "Free Speech" as protected by the 1st amendment refers to the government not restricting your speech. Private employers don't fall under that umbrella.

And as some have pointed out, because it's a religious themed school, they may or may not have some exemption from discrimination laws. Sucks if they do. I somehow doubt a Muslim-owned business could go to our conservative government and ask for the right to hire only Muslims.

Good luck LIT. Very sorry to hear this happened.

And if your employer is monitoring this thread: Is this really how your god works? Aren't you supposed to reach out to the non-believers, not drive them away? If someone fired you for being Christian you'd call it persecution. So when you fire someone for not being Christian, what do you call that?

Permalink Reply by Clint Warren on March 7, 2010 at 8:03am

People worry about getting jobs.... I worry about getting rounded up like cattle. Being outed is a hard choice. Sometimes it makes sense to be private about things that could conceivably lead you into a gas chamber or, on a lesser note, foreclosure. I agree with much of what Lorien posted. We have to be certain about our privacy settings on various internet sites... hell, nowadays if someone so much as takes an unflattering photo of you you're screwed. This whole issue may have been avoided if your boss were never able to access compromising information about you. I think your decision to take the job was commendable... giving those kids a break from their daily regiment of child abuse! In any case, our rights were violated. That's right... OUR rights. It is tempting to say, "You poor thing. Your rights were violated". But the truth is OUR rights were violated by your boss and I agree with Loren Miller in encouraging you to seek council.... if not for yourself than for all of us.

Permalink Reply by Johnsky on March 7, 2010 at 8:27am

I don't know what kind of backward legal system you guys have down there, but up here it's the other way around. If my employer fired me for that, it would be them who'd be sued for wrongful dismissal.

What possible grounds do they have to sue you? "Wrong religion"?

Yeah, I definitely say call their bluff... take them to court.

Your ex-employer has violated a number of laws, all because she's intolerant of your beliefs.
They must be made an example of.

If anything, their own old testament puts it pretty accurately when it plugs the line "eye for an eye".
You lost your job because they're intolerant of other beliefs.
They lose their jobs for breaking the law... (and if I'm not mistaken, violating part of the Constitution, and a number of your founding documents?...I know the Canadian founding documents, not the americans)

Permalink Reply by Michael Howard on March 7, 2010 at 9:17am

You can't be fired for your religious (or lack of religious beliefs). Fight.

Permalink Reply by Creature on March 7, 2010 at 11:53am

It's illegal here too.

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