Angry Parents
Generally, parents think that when they drop off their kids at school for the day their children are in a safe environment of compassion and professionalism.
But the parents of Paul Catholic School didn't know that soon they would be very angry with the school. There would be a scandal brought up that would change everything.
Jocelyn Morffi
Jocelyn Morffi was a well-respected teacher at Paul Catholic school and was loved by parents and students alike. She was like a part of the furniture.
At 32 she was an experienced teacher. She taught first graders and couldn't be happier in her job. The feeling was mutual and she was well-loved by her students too. But when she disappeared one day, everyone was left wonder what had happened.
Absent
Jocelyn was praised by all the parents, who even called her the "Mother Theresa of teachers". So what happened to the most well-liked teachers at this Catholic school?
Jocelyn had the future of the world as her responsibility, she was moulding young minds that would go on to do great things. But then very abruptly vanished. But her belongings were left in her class.
Unorthodox Teaching Methods
Jocelyn would approach tragedies with her students from a place of understanding, not one to make them even more scared. She wanted to inspire hope rather than anything else.
She decided that she'd start a special project with her students. She called the campaign #TeachHope. The only issue is that her teaching methods weren't accepted by everyone and were sometimes called "unorthodox"
#TeachHope
Jocelyn felt that her students needed to understand the importance of giving back to the community, so they went to a homeless shelter to volunteer.
She covered her bases and got permission from the parents and clearance from the school. But she couldn't have prepared for how the parents would react.
Not Enough
She got so much more support than she had anticipated. She got so many meals from parents and students, including bread, cheese, meats, and many other things to help feed the homeless. The entire drive was good for the students and she was praised by the parents.
But soon it would all go downhill as she received some bad news.
She Stopped Showing Up
Every parent was ecstatic with Miss Morffi – she was teaching their children compassion and how to give back to the community. Indeed, she was an important part of the school and a big influence in their children’s lives.
That’s why, when she suddenly stopped showing up at school, the parents were extremely worried and confused – especially as this happened just after the teacher’s wedding.
Wedding Photos
Jocelyn had set herself up a wedding website showing all of her details for the perfect wedding. She wanted her family to follow it and show support. This was after getting married to her best friend.
She wanted to go back to her normal teaching life once her wedding was over. But after they saw her photos, there was no going back.
Not So Picture-Perfect
She spent a weekend at Key Largo Lighthouse with her partner where they were married. They even had a goodbye event on the Sunday and many photos were taken of all the vents. They would be posted online, which would be the beginning of the end.
But was so incriminating in the photos that led to Jocelyn being fired from her position at the school the day she returned?
Gone
That Monday, parents dropped their children off at St. Peter and Paul Catholic School as usual. For anyone who didn’t know what had happened, the day just seemed like any other school day.
The parents and children were shocked to see that all of Miss Morffi’s things were still there – which indicated that she had left in a hurry – but the beloved teacher herself was conspicuously absent.
Fired On The Spot
Jocelyn was a well-known presence in the community – mainly due to the humanitarian programs that she promoted on her personal social media pages.
Despite the “Mother Teresa” of teachers’ popularity and excellent track record, the school saw her wedding photos and decided to fire her on the spot. When the parents and community found out why, they knew they had to take matters into their own hands. Dozens of angry parents gathered, ready to confront the school.
Disapproval Of Her Partner
Jocelyn’s Instagram page was filled with photos of her special day as she and her partner were joined in holy matrimony. But what was meant to be a holy occasion wasn’t seen that way by some.
Jocelyn took to social media and wrote: “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.”
A Firm Stance
Those who hadn’t seen the wedding photos on social media were informed of the school’s decision with a letter, which simply said “She is no longer teaching at our school,” and that it was “a difficult and necessary decision.”
You see, the Catholic school had a firm stance against same-sex marriage – so much so that when the principal saw Jocelyn’s wedding photos, he immediately relieved her of her duties. But he wasn’t prepared for the backlash.
The Parents Fight Back
In the following days, angry parents began to arrive in droves to protest. They confronted the principal and threatened to pull their kids out of the school. And soon, the media took notice.
“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. But would they get justice?
Not Bound by State Laws
Unfortunately, Catholic schools are not governed by state laws. Miss Morffi had committed a grave offense in their eyes – just for marrying the woman she loved. But Jocelyn is still fighting the school’s decision.
“Jocelyn is humbled by all the love and support she has received from family, friends, the students’ parents, and the public. She feels that the manner of her firing was unfair, not only to her but to her students as well,” Miss Morffi’s attorney said in a statement. But was the school in the wrong?