Christian Teacher Fired Because She was Pregnant and Unwed

An engaged teacher, named Cathy Samford,

Was fired by a Christian School board,

Because in Her belly, she carried,

While waiting, to be married,

You only get forgiveness from the Lord!

John 8:7 (ESV)

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, ‘Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

“I didn’t know how babies were made until I was pregnant with my fourth child.”

Loretta Lynn

The Story

Cathy Samford used to be a teacher and volleyball coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Rockwall, TX. That was before she admitted to school officials that she was pregnant with her fiancé’s baby. The school officials quickly fired her.

Samford told ABC News this,

“I didn’t think I would lose my job…I was in shock and devastated and that’s when I said, ‘If this is the problem, I’m willing, and so is my fiancé, to go ahead and get married. That wasn’t the issue. We were going to get married regardless.”

The school’s headmaster, Dr. Ron Taylor, said this,

“It’s not that she’s pregnant. The issue here is being an unmarried mother. Everything that we stand for says that we want our teachers, who we consider to be in the ministry, to model what a Christian man or woman should be.”

Samford hired an attorney because she does not believe her contract was violated. She said this:

“It’s against the law to fire someone for them taking a pregnancy leave and you can’t preventively fire someone. You can’t contract around anti-discrimination laws,”

Her lawyer explained to ABC News,

“Just being generally religious or upholding Christian values is not enough to evoke the ministerial exception.”

Now, Samford is pregnant and financially in trouble; she said this,

“I’m very worried about money. I’m just hoping to make it through this month. I’ve had lots of medical bills…My insurance was dropped so everything I’ve had to pay is out of pocket. I’m using my tax return just to live on. It’s a big concern. I don’t know what next month holds for me.”

My View

I believe what this Christian school has been morally wrong, but I also believe that the school has every right to fire her. Private organizations have the right to hire and fire anyone that goes against its principles.

The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of glory,” The church should have not chosen to “throw the first stone” so quickly. Was the teacher given the opportunity to repent of her sins? From what I read, I believe that she was very sorry for the sinful mistake she made. How many times have these church officials sinned also and needed forgiveness?

The school headmaster said that she was not setting a proper example for her students to follow. I disagree. This situation could have been used to show the students the right thing to do if found in this same situation. An example of true redemption can be a very powerful life-lesson.

What does this situation teach the students? I think it demonstrates an attitude of un-forgiveness from their Christian leaders. Whom can Christians depend on for forgiveness, if not from other Christians?  Should the church excommunicate her?

What was the outcome? Now, the expecting mother is “out-on-the-street” without a job and medical benefits. Think of the hardship that these Christians put upon their Sister in Christ. I find this to be deplorable!

Jesus taught his followers to “give their shirts off their backs” if needed to help someone. However, their Sister was abandoned during a time she needed them most.

God will be the judge! I hope this story brings some reprieve to this mother. God bless her!

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