Usually, parents think that their kids are safe when they drop them off at school. They believe they are in a safe environment and that no one will hurt them while they're there.
But the families of children who attended Paul Catholic School had no idea that the teachers who worked there were doing something illegal.
Jocelyn Morffi
Jocelyn Morffi worked as a teacher at Paul Catholic school and was loved by all of her students and colleagues.
Jocelyn was only 32 years old but had already managed to build a successful career. She loved her job and always showed up to work early. So, when she suddenly disappeared one day, everyone wondered what had happened.
Mother Theresa of Teachers
All the parents praised Jocelyn, and she even earned the nickname "Mother Theresa of teachers."
But then, she abruptly vanished and left all her belongings in the class. Everyone was shocked when Jocelyn didn't return to class and feared that something bad had happened to her.
#TeachHope.
Jocelyn's mission was to inspire her students and make them fall in love with the subject. She used different strategies with her first-graders to keep them interested.
One day, the young teacher decided to start a special project with her students called #TeachHope. The only problem was that not all adults agreed with her teaching methods; some even called it "unorthodox."
Giving Back To The Community
Jocelyn wanted her students to understand how important it was to give back to the community. So one day, she took them to a homeless shelter to volunteer.
She got permission from the parents and the school and headed to the shelter. But she couldn't have prepared for how some parents would react.
Support
Jocelyn had received more support than she had expected. Many teachers and parents gave her meals, including cheese, meats, bread, fruits, and other things to help feed people at the shelter.
But sadly, it would soon go downhill as Jocelyn received some bad news. She was fired.
Worried
All the parents loved Jocelyn because she taught their children kindness and compassion. She was a big influence on their kids' lives, and they appreciated her.
So, when she suddenly didn't come to work, the parents all became very worried.
Wedding Website
Jocelyn had created a wedding website so all her family and friends could see the photos and show support. She had just married her best friend and wanted to share the news with the world.
After the wedding was over, Jocelyn planned to go back to her normal teaching life.
Not So Perfect Wedding
Jocelyn and her wife spent the weekend at Key Largo Lighthouse. They took many photos and even had a goodbye event for their guests. Their photos were posted on the website for the world to see.
Jocelyn was fired from her position the day she returned. But what was the reason?
Gone
On Monday morning, the parents dropped their kids off at school and went to work. They didn't know that Jocelyn had been fired.
They were surprised to see that all of her things were still there, which meant that she had left in a hurry. So, where was she?
Fired On The Spot
The school saw Jocelyn's photos with her wife and decided to fire her on the spot. The parents and the community were furious with the school's decision.
They had to take the matters into their own hands and confronted the school.
Disapproval Of Her Wife
Jocelyn's Instagram profile was filled with photos from her wedding and her beautiful wife.
“This weekend, I married the love of my life, and unfortunately, I was terminated from my job as a result. In their eyes, I’m not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner," she wrote on her social media.
Firm Stance
Parents who hadn't seen her wedding photos were informed of the decision with a letter which said, “She is no longer teaching at our school” and that it was “a difficult and necessary decision.”
Paul Catholic school had a firm stance against gay marriage and had to fire Jocelyn. But the principal wasn't prepared for the backlash.
Viral
The angry parents threatened to pull their children out of the school. And soon, everyone knew about the incident.
“We feel cheated. She was the best kind of teacher that you can ask for, and our kids, everybody, every parent here — our kids loved her,” one parent told the local media.
Not Governed By Stated Laws
Sadly, Jocelyn is still fighting for the school's decision since Catholic schools aren't governed by state laws.
“Jocelyn is humbled by all the love and support she has received from family, friends, the student's parents, and the public. She feels that the manner of her firing was unfair, not only to her but to her students as well,” Jocelyn's attorney said in a statement.