A taxpayer-funded Christian school in Florida recently cited its "awesome God" as the reason it fired a teacher for her so-called "lifestyle choice" to be a lesbian.
“When I think of losing the job, I don’t even think about the job," Jaclyn Pfeiffer explained to WFTV. "I think about the kids, and that makes me cry."
Pfeiffer said that she moved to Florida to work as a dancer for Disney, and then took a job at Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center. But after her girlfriend began working as substitute teacher in another part of the school, rumors started to spread.
Even though Pfeiffer insisted that the couple tried to keep their relationship private, the school director eventually called her into her office to confront her about it.
“And then she was like, 'Is it true what the rumors are about you and Kelly?' and I said 'Yes,” Pfeiffer recalled. “I said, 'Could I be fired for that?' and she said 'Yes.'”
"Basically she said that what I'm doing is not socially acceptable and I'm living a life of sin."
Within days, Pfeiffer was out of a job.
In a letter to parents, school director Barbara Twachtman said that Pfeiffer had been fired "due to personal reasons."
"Jaci has been a wonderful teacher and I have told her that she is very gifted with the children," Twachtman wrote. "I am very sad that she is leaving. I know we serve an awesome God and that He has great things for Jaci as well as great things for our school."
The school director predicted that children would "do fine with the change" if parents did not complain.
"It is usually the parents that have a harder time with change than the children," she opined. "So, if you are relaxed and don’t show your children any anxiety about it, they will not feel anxious."
But one parent, Megan Gibson, did press the school for answers, and was told that Pfeiffer was fired for her "lifestyle choices."
"My kids adore her and adore everything that she's taught them," Gibson told WFTV. "I wasn't aware of Jaci's relationship, nor did I care about any of Jaci's personal relationships."
Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center receives $2,442 in taxpayer funding per child from the state of Florida for providing voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) during the school year. The state pays the school $2,080 per child during the summer session.
Attorneys pointed out to WFTV that the school had not broken any laws by firing Pfeiffer for her sexual orientation. An ordinance in Orange County, where the school is located, prohibits discrimination against LGBT people, but churches are exempted.
Watch the video below from WFTV, broadcast April 6, 2015.
