A grocery store owner in Iowa likes to lecture his employees on how to be more biblical. He lectured one of them so much in such an annoying way that she up and quit.
Sherri Chafin said she quit in January 2012 after Stille preached to her about the wisdom of King Solomon and questioned her lifestyle. She filed for unemployment pay.
“He told me that I should read one psalm, or one chapter, per day, something like that,” Chafin testified at an unemployment hearing.
Chafin said Stille also criticized aspects of her life.
“He asked me if I was receiving food stamps, or any welfare, or anything like that. He told me that if I was, it was unjust because I worked and I lived with my roommate — who is my boyfriend and we’re not married,” Chafin testified. “He was very intimidating.”
That’s enough of that, Ms Chafin – he was your employer, your boss, put in that position by god, and it was your duty to heed and obey him. The bible says so, somewhere.
Stille said his employees all knew before they were hired that faith is an integral part of his business.
“Before we hire anybody, we tell them our faith. We play Christian music in our store all the time, and we always make sure that’s OK with them because that’s a part of our life,” Stille said.
On the other hand we’re talking about Tabor, Iowa, a wide place in the road with a population of 1000. I’m guessing jobs aren’t abundant there.
Administrative Law Judge Julie Elder sided with Chafin, finding that Stille’s conduct was, at best, “inappropriate, unacceptable and unprofessional” and had created an intolerable work environment.
Reached by the Register after the judge’s decision, Stille expressed frustration.
“It’s just a lot of baloney and it’s more of government getting involved where it shouldn’t,” he said. “I’m just really frustrated with the whole mess.”
Chafin said she now works at an adults-only store in western Iowa called Romantix.
Asked about her current job, Chafin said, “I’ve never had any problems with my boss.”
Ah now that’s a fitting punishment.
She should have pointed out that if he paid her more, she wouldn’t qualify for food stamps or welfare in the first place.
Oh zing. Good point.
Well, if she’d married the boyfriend, he could have worked harder while she stayed at home and popped out quivers or something, like God intended! Then she wouldn’t have to work at all, because we all know raising children is no work at all. See, it’s all her fault for not doing her natural job!
Well, he’s the expert in getting involved where he shouldn’t.
Businesses are required to go through all sorts of paperwork to run them (taxes, licensing, health and safety, etc.) and yet it seems nobody bothers to tell them what their legal limits and obligations are to their employees. Or maybe Stille is just scum, he knew it was wrong and doesn’t care that he’s violating the law, he “thinks” christians are exempt.
It’s understandable that Ms. Chafin was chafing at her boss’s harassment. She may have known that he played religious music all the time, but she did not agree to be harassed and have her life – not “lifestyle”, but life – dictated to by someone who has no right to. There are many cases (e.g. the Sante Fe football prayer case, the Air Force cadet cases) where those claiming harassment had the same religion as those harassing them with religion.
I must correct myself. From the original story in the Des Moines Register:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20131113/NEWS01/311130051/Judge-Owner-can-t-lecture-employees-on-religion
An agnostic or atheist. I didn’t expect that. It’s a pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.
The focus on churches and one of the week makes her sound more like Spiritual-but-not-Religious people.
What a beautiful turn in the story that a sex toy shop provides a better work environment than a Christian grocery store.
He asked me if I was receiving food stamps, or any welfare, or anything like that. He told me that if I was, it was unjust because I worked and I lived with my roommate
It’s fun to watch Jesus transform from a middle eastern hippie with ego issues to a blue eyed white male Caucasian , and now staunch tea party conservative.