Catholic school teacher says she was fired for marrying same-sex partner

A Catholic school teacher in Miami says she was fired after marrying her same-sex partner.

First-grade teacher Jocelyn Morffi lost her job at the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School Thursday, just one day after returning 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 an Instagram post.

She captioned the social media post with - #guiltyoflove.

'...not the right kind of Catholic'

Morffi returned to work last Wednesday after marrying her partner of two years on February 3rd, according to the Miami Herald.

She was called into the principal’s office that day and was told to resign, then fired after she refused.  

The school did not give Morffi a reason, but she claims to know why. 

“In their eyes I’m not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner,” Morffi said in an Instagram post.

The school’s principal sent a letter about the firing home to parents. The letter said “a difficult and necessary decision” has been made and “she is no longer teaching at our school.” It didn’t provide details.

Morffi worked for Sts. Peter and Paul for nearly seven years, according to the Herald.  

In addition to teaching, she coached basketball and ran the volunteer organization #TeachHope70x7, that takes students around downtown Miami to pass out meals to the homeless people on weekends.

"This teacher in particular has made such a contribution to the school. She never imposes her personal beliefs on other,” Samantha Mills, whose child was in Morffi’s class last year, told the newspaper. “She just does everything in love. She has a way of teaching that is so amazing.”

The Church responds

The Archdiocese of Miami confirmed with the Miami Herald that Morffi was fired because she broke her contract under the church’s rules of conduct, but wouldn't get into specifics.  

"As a teacher in a Catholic school their responsibility is partly for the spiritual growth of the children," Archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross 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," Agosta added.

She would not elaborate on how Morffi breached her contract, according to the newspaper. 

Backlash from parents

The decision to fire Morffi sparked outrage amongst several parents.

Nearly 20 parents went to the school Friday morning after learning of the teacher’s termination from a letter Thursday evening.

“We are extremely livid. They treated her like a criminal and they didn’t even let her get her things out of the classroom,” Cinti Cini, a parent of one of the children in Morffi’s class told the Herald.

Cini said the parents didn’t know Morffi’s sexual orientation, but says they don’t care. 

“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,” Cini told the newspaper.

Cini said the principal spoke to each of the parents but failed to give a reason for the firing.

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