Jocelyn Morffi was let go from her first-grade teaching job at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School on Thursday
A beloved Miami Catholic school teacher who recently married her partner, was fired mere days later, angering parents.
Jocelyn Morffi was let go from her first-grade teaching job at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School on Thursday.
It was the day after she had gotten back from her wedding to Natasha Hass in the Florida Keys.
‘This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result,’ Morffi said in a post on social media obtained by the Miami Herald. ‘In their eyes I’m not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner.’
A letter was sent from the school to parents, on Thursday, but it failed to go into detail as to why Morffi was fired.
A group of approximately 20 parents convened on the school’s campus and demanded an explanation from the principal, on Friday.
It was the day after she had gotten back from her wedding to Natasha Hass in the Florida Keys
‘This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result,’ Morffi said in a post on social media obtained by the Miami Herald. ‘In their eyes I’m not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner’
‘We were extremely livid. They treated her like a criminal, they didn’t even let her get her things out of her classroom,’ said Cintia Cini, who has a child in Morffi’s class.
While she added that Morffi’s sexual orientation wasn’t common knowledge, Cini asserted that was irrelevant.
‘Our only concern was the way she was with our children, the way she taught our children and this woman by far was one of the best teachers out there,’ she explained.
Cini would add that when the principal met with the parents one-by-one, they failed to list a reason for the terminating, even then.
A letter was sent from the school to parents, on Thursday, but it failed to go into detail as to why Morffi was fired
Approximately 20 parents convened on the school’s campus and demanded an explanation from the principal, on Friday
While the school failed to respond to a comment, Archdiocese of Miami spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta did confirm that Morffi had been fired.
She wouldn’t give any further explanation other than Morffi breakng her contract. Agosta asserted that policy prohibits the discussion of personnel matters.
‘As a teacher in a Catholic school their responsibility is partly for the spiritual growth of the children,’ Agosta said.
‘One has to understand that in any corporation, institution or organization there are policies and procedures and teachings and traditions that are adhered to. If something along the way does not continue to stay within that contract, then we have no other choice.’
Archbishop Thomas Wenski released a memo, following Florida’s lift on same sex marriage in 2015, that placed emphasis on the city’s policy.
As church representatives, all employees are to abide by Catholic teachings, the memo explained.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski released a memo, following Florida’s lift on same sex marriage in 2015, that placed emphasis on the city’s policy. As church representatives, all employees are to abide by Catholic teachings, the memo explained
‘Inconsistent’ conduct could lead to disciplinary action, including termination.
The state does have a law that makes sexual orientation discrimination, illegal. But a Miami-Dade County ordinance does exempt religious institutions from certain provisions.
‘I think it’s shocking that in this day and age this continues to happen in South Florida,’ said Tony Lima, executive director of the South Florida LGBT rights group SAVE.
‘It’s important to continue educating the community that this kind of stuff happens in this day and age. But it’s even more important to pass comprehensive statewide protections.’
The educator has worked at the school for nearly seven years. Morffi has coached basketball and ran #teachHope70x7, a volunteer organization that takes students to distribute meals to the homless, said her friend Katerina Reyes-Gutierrez.
Reyes-Gutierrez detailed how Morffi married Hass after dating for two years and returned to work on Wednesday.
Friend Katerina Reyes-Gutierrez detailed how Morffi married Hass after dating for two years and returned to work on Wednesday. She explained how the school asked Morffi to resign that day but she refused, leading to them firing her on Thursday
She was allegedly called into the principal’s office and told that she had to resign, that afternoon.
But refusing, Morffi was fired the next day, her friend explained.
She was not given a reason for the termination, Reyes-Gutierrez said.
While many rallied behind the teacher on social media, there were some who agreed with the school’s decision.
But parents at the school plan to continue protesting the firing.
‘We were completely outraged, all of the parents,’ said Samantha Mills. She had a child in Morffi’s class, last year.
‘This teacher in particular has made such a contribution to the school. She never imposes her personal beliefs on others. She just does everything in love. She has a way of teaching that is so amazing.’
Valentina Simon even contemplated removing her child from the school when she heard of the teacher’s firing.
‘This is really bad,’ said Simon. ‘It can’t be that in 2018 … they still do this type of thing.’