When it comes to the silver screen, the director usually reigns supreme, steering the story, the performances, and the visual style toward a cohesive, compelling masterpiece. Yet even the most celebrated auteurs can find themselves out of a chair when egos clash, budgets explode, or creative visions diverge. In this top 10 famous roundup, we dive into the dramatic exits of ten legendary directors whose careers were briefly derailed by an unexpected dismissal.

Why These Top 10 Famous Directors Got the Ax

10 Peter Godfrey and Joseph von Sternberg

Because both men helmed different portions of the same picture and were both shown the door by the same mogul, we treat them as a single entry.

Howard Hughes had assembled a glittering cast—Janet Leigh and John Wayne—along with a high‑stakes espionage tale: a Soviet spy defects, flies to Alaska, meets a handler, marries her, and together they flee back to Russia only to escape a deadly chase. Hughes was prepared to bankroll the whole enterprise himself, but he still needed a director to bring it to life.

He first tapped Warner Bros. veteran Peter Godfrey, only to fire him within days and replace him with the enigmatic Josef von Sternberg. Sternberg’s brusque manner quickly alienated both leads, and he, too, was dismissed after a brief rehiring stint. Though Sternberg kept the directorial credit, it was actually Jules Furthman—who co‑wrote the script with Hughes—who finished the film seventeen months after shooting began. Hughes, unimpressed with the final product, shelved the movie until the technology featured in it became outdated, causing the picture to “lose millions” and bruising Hughes’s pride.

Godfrey, an actor‑turned‑director, had previously guided stars such as Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino, and Mickey Rooney. Sternberg’s résumé boasted collaborations with Marlene Dietrich (including the iconic The Blue Angel, 1930) and work with Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and Cesar Romero.

The only one lacking a substantial directing pedigree was Furthman, primarily a screenwriter. Yet even his involvement couldn’t satisfy Hughes, just as the billionaire’s own ill‑fated 1957 aviation epic Jet Pilot failed to win over critics or audiences.

9 Anthony Mann

When the producers of Spartacus (1960) began hunting for a director, the first choice fell through, prompting a frantic search. Kirk Douglas, who also produced, leaned on his confidant Lew Wasserman, head of MCA, to locate a reliable helmer. Delmer Daves was sidelined by heart problems, Peter Glenville was occupied with a Broadway production, and even the legendary Stanley Kubrick was earmarked for One‑Eyed Jacks (1961). David Lean turned the offer down.

Douglas initially favored Joe Mankiewicz, but Wasserman vetoed him, insisting the massive budget required a “technician they could manage” rather than an artist. Mann, known primarily for his Westerns, was reluctantly approached despite Douglas’s own admission that he had “no interest in doing a ‘shoot ’em up’ with spears.” When no other viable candidates emerged, Mann was hired and production began.

Accounts of Mann’s exit differ. Mann claims he wanted to tell the story visually, whereas Douglas pushed for a dialogue‑driven approach. Douglas attributes the dismissal to studio executives, while Mann and producer Edward Lewis argue that Mann voluntarily walked away, aided by the pressure of juggling four additional directors and screenwriters. Lewis says Mann left of his own accord, but that he was nudged toward the decision by the overwhelming workload.

Another perspective, voiced by Douglas biographer Michael Munn, suggests that the film was fundamentally Douglas’s vision, prompting him to label himself executive producer to keep control. Tony Curtis, who portrayed the slave Antoninus, recalls that Douglas wanted the focus on both the love story and the slaves’ rebellion, and that disagreements over this core concept led to Mann’s firing just two weeks into shooting.

8 Alex Cox

After a series of false starts, Alex Cox built a solid reputation with cult hits like Repo Man (1984), Sid and Nancy (1986), and El Patrullero (1991). When the chance to adapt Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) arrived, Cox was initially appointed director, only to be replaced by Terry Gilliam shortly thereafter.

The primary catalyst for Cox’s removal appears to have been a heated clash with Thompson himself. Their conflict became fodder for the documentary Breakfast with Hunter (2003), which captured the tension between the director and the gonzo journalist whose book was being adapted.

It also seems that Cox’s fiercely independent, punk‑rock ethos and his outspoken political stance made him a target for mainstream Hollywood powers. His refusal to compromise alienated studio executives, leading to his marginalization and a gradual shift toward European productions rather than Hollywood features.

7 John Avildsen

John Avildsen, who earned an Academy Award for directing Rocky (1976) and had previously helmed Save the Tiger (1973), arrived at Saturday Night Fever (1977) with an impressive résumé. However, clashes with producer Robert Stigwood over creative direction resulted in his removal from the set.

Stigwood complained that Avildsen kept “changing the script,” insisting on turning Saturday Night Fever into another Rocky‑style triumph. When associate producer Milt Felsen raised Stigwood’s concerns, Avildsen defended his desire for “a few changes” to give the film a more upbeat ending. Felsen warned Avildsen to back off, but he persisted, leading Stigwood to fire him.

Being canned wasn’t new to Avildsen. He had previously been dismissed from The Stoolie (1972) and Serpico (1973), and later faced similar ousters on Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Space Camp (1986), and Gone Fishing (1996). Even Kit Culkin, the father of Macaulay Culkin, refused to work with him on Richie Rich (1994). Avildsen’s steadfast independence often came at a steep price.

6 Philip Kaufman

Philip Kaufman earned early acclaim with Goldstein (1964), snagging the New Critics Prize at Cannes and praise from the legendary François Truffaut. He later directed Jon Voight in Fearless Frank (1967) and Robert Duvall in The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972). His big break came when Clint Eastwood tapped him to direct The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976).

In revising the script, Kaufman altered the original premise by keeping the antagonists relentlessly pursuing Wales, a change that impressed Eastwood and secured Kaufman the director’s chair. However, concerns soon emerged among the crew. Kaufman’s perceived indecisiveness clashed with Eastwood’s impatience, and Kaufman filmed an attack on Wales’s wife before Eastwood arrived on location. Producer Bob Daley and Eastwood both criticized the footage, with Daley labeling it “milquetoast.”

Additional issues—Kaufman’s alleged inefficiency and worries about staying on schedule and budget—prompted Eastwood to make the difficult decision to fire him. Eastwood later admitted it was “the hardest thing I ever did in my life,” taking over directing duties himself. This incident led the Directors Guild to prohibit replacing its members with non‑guild personnel on a production after a dismissal.

10 Crazy Sides Of Famous Directors

5 Kevin Jarre

Kevin Jarre, a young director, faced a career setback when he was dismissed from Tombstone (1993), starring Kurt Russell. The film suffered from budget overruns, scheduling delays, and a chaotic production environment. Actors complained about Jarre’s direction, feeling he was overly prescriptive about movement and line delivery.

Jarre struggled with shot sequencing and scene coherence, leading to unsatisfactory daily footage (dailies). The movie’s length ballooned, necessitating the cutting of over thirty scenes. Co‑star Val Kilmer recounted confronting Jarre, urging him to adopt a collaborative approach and listen to veteran actor Russell, who had been performing in the industry since childhood.

Ultimately, Kilmer and Russell warned Jarre that his stubbornness would likely result in termination. Producer Andrew Vajna eventually fired him, leaving Jarre “incredibly crushed,” according to fellow cast member Powers Booth.

4 Richard Thorpe

The Wizard of Oz (1939) remains a beloved classic, yet Richard Thorpe’s two‑week stint as its director was far from magical. After the first week of shooting, producer Mervyn LeRoy convened a meeting, during which lead actor Buddy Ebsen, who had to quit the Tin Man role due to an allergic reaction, described the footage as “terrible,” “utter confusion,” and “berating” to the cast.

LeRoy later admitted that Thorpe’s style didn’t suit the fantasy genre, noting that while Thorpe was a capable filmmaker, he failed to capture the emotional warmth required for a fairy‑tale. Victor Fleming, who replaced Thorpe, brought the childlike vision needed, and the film went on to earn six Academy Award nominations, winning three, though none for Best Director.

3 Howard Hawks

Howard Hawks wore many hats—screenwriter, producer, and director—working with icons such as Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Paul Muni, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Cary Grant, and Katharine Hepburn. His impressive filmography includes The Dawn Patrol (1930), Scarface (1932), Today We Live (1933), Barbary Coast (1935), Ceiling Zero (1936), Bringing Up Baby (1938), and Sergeant York (1941).

Surprisingly, Hawks was dismissed from The Outlaw (1943), starring Jane Russell and Walter Huston, by billionaire Howard Hughes, who is credited as the film’s director. After completing Sergeant York, Hughes grew frustrated with Hawks’s meticulous attention to detail and his habit of walking off set, leading Hughes to replace him. Notably, Hughes designed the revealing bra worn by Russell in the film.

2 George Cukor

George Cukor, a revered Hollywood director, was removed from the epic Gone with the Wind (1939). Rumor has it that producer David O. Selznick fired him after star Clark Gable expressed discomfort with Cukor’s homosexuality, despite their prior collaboration on Manhattan (1933).

While Gable’s alleged bias may have contributed, Selznick also cited creative differences: he felt Cukor couldn’t grasp the film’s expansive scope and was overly focused on intimate scenes and female characters, prompting the decision to replace him.

1 Stanley Kubrick

By 1976, Stanley Kubrick’s résumé boasted monumental hits such as Spartacus (1960), Dr. Strangelove (1964), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and A Clockwork Orange (1971). Yet even this titan was fired from the production of One‑Eyed Jacks (1976).

Initially, Kubrick pursued an adaptation of Paths of Glory, a 1935 novel about French soldiers executed for mutiny, but MGM declined to finance it. The studio had recently released the anti‑war film The Red Badge of Courage (1951), making the project a risky proposition.

When Marlon Brando approached Kubrick to direct The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones—a story about Sheriff Pat Garrett and outlaw Billy the Kid—creative clashes erupted. Their disagreements grew so intense that Brando resorted to striking a gong to restore order. Ultimately, Brando dismissed Kubrick, retitled the film One‑Eyed Jacks, and assumed directing responsibilities himself.

Top 10 Best of the Best in Movies

Teaching is often hailed as a noble calling, but the reality can be a wild ride. While educators shoulder the massive task of shaping young minds, schools sometimes hire anyone with a diploma, leading to some truly jaw‑dropping firings. Below we explore 10 stunning reasons teachers have been shown the door, each more outrageous than the last.

10 A Teacher Was Fired for Writing a Blog on Homophones

Ever wondered how a simple lesson about words that sound alike could end a career? Tim Torkildson, a social‑media strategist at Utah’s Nomen Global Language Center, spent his days crafting blog entries to help ESL learners grasp tricky English concepts, homophones included.

His latest post dissected pairs of words that share pronunciation but diverge in meaning. Somewhere down the chain of command, someone either skimmed the piece or missed the nuance entirely, and the blog was interpreted as promoting “the gay agenda.” The misunderstanding proved costly: Torkildson was promptly terminated.

According to the former employee, the company’s owner summoned him, delivered the pink‑slip, and then publicly claimed the firing stemmed from “tangential” content rather than any alleged agenda‑push. The post was taken down, and the owner later argued the subject was simply too advanced for their students.

Why 10 Stunning Reasons Matter

9 A Substitute Teacher Was Fired for Getting Dating Advice

Balancing professional boundaries with personal anecdotes can be a tightrope act for educators, especially those who spend more hours in the classroom than at home. One substitute in New York crossed that line in a way no one expected.

The 45‑year‑old teacher turned a routine lesson into a makeshift dating workshop, asking fourth‑graders to role‑play scenarios where a student acted as a potential boyfriend and she played herself. The goal? To harvest advice on which men she should pursue and what qualities to prioritize, after describing a current boyfriend as “a jerk.”

Although no sexual impropriety was alleged, the district deemed the solicitation of personal advice from minors unacceptable and promptly terminated her employment.

8 A Florida Teacher Was Fired for Having Students Write Obituaries Before an Active Shooter Drill

Active‑shooter drills have become a grim staple in many U.S. schools, but a psychology teacher at Dr. Phillips High in Orlando decided to add a morbid twist. He assigned students the task of drafting their own obituaries ahead of the scheduled drill.

His rationale was that confronting mortality might help kids prioritize what truly matters in life. School officials, however, viewed the assignment as an inappropriate glorification of violence and promptly dismissed him.

The teacher defended his decision, insisting that “talking real” about death was a necessary conversation in today’s climate, but the administration disagreed, citing the assignment’s potential to traumatize students.

7 Ann Stewart Was Fired for Being a Witch

In the early 1970s, Tucson’s Flowing Wells School became the unlikely backdrop for a modern‑day witch trial. Ann Stewart, a tenured teacher, sparked controversy by openly discussing witchcraft with her pupils and, according to the district, embodying the very archetype of a witch herself.

The school board accused her of insubordination, being a poor influence, causing stress among fellow teachers, and teaching material outside the approved curriculum. An ethics complaint filed by the principal led to her indefinite dismissal.

Stewart maintained she never claimed to be a witch, merely that she possessed some of the traits associated with one, which students eagerly embraced. A subsequent lawsuit revealed procedural missteps by the district, resulting in a court order that reinstated her position, though the long‑term outcome remains murky.

6 Oklahoma Teacher Was Fired After Taking Students on a Walmart Run

Teachers often dip into their own pockets for classroom supplies, but one Oklahoma educator pushed the envelope by turning a routine snack break into a full‑blown field trip. In 2014, Heather Cagle loaded eleven students into her personal Honda Accord for a spontaneous run to Walmart.

The cramped vehicle forced her to improvise: two children were crammed into the trunk, while the remaining nine squeezed into the passenger area, turning the car into a literal clown‑car. The trip, which served no educational purpose, raised immediate safety concerns.

When the school board uncovered the incident, a four‑to‑one vote sealed Cagle’s fate, resulting in her immediate termination.

5 A Norwegian Teacher Had Students Play with Her Blood

Imagine a teacher bringing a vial of her own blood into a preschool classroom for a hands‑on science lesson. That’s exactly what a Norwegian educator did with a group of three‑to‑six‑year‑olds, inviting them to taste the crimson fluid.

Approximately a dozen children sampled the blood after the teacher poured it onto a plate, dubbing the activity a “Dracula buffet.” When a youngster asked how to clean the residue from his finger, the teacher demonstrated licking it off her own finger, prompting the children to follow suit.

Authorities swiftly fired the teacher and ordered medical tests for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. While test results were pending, officials reassured the public that the risk of transmission was minimal.

4 A Teacher Was Fired for Letting Students Use a Classroom Closet for Sex

Every school has that “cool” teacher who seems to have a direct line to students’ hearts. For math and science instructor Quinton Wright, “cool” took a dark turn when he turned a classroom storage closet into a clandestine rendezvous spot for teenage couples.

Wright coordinated schedules, allowing students to meet in the empty closet when no one else was around, even supplying condoms for the encounters. The arrangement resembled an in‑school Airbnb for illicit activity.

The scheme unraveled after a mother discovered text messages between her son and Wright, exposing the secret meetings. Wright was dismissed, later facing child‑molestation charges that were ultimately dismissed on a technicality due to a paperwork error.

3 A Teacher Was Fired for Giving Zeros to Students Who Didn’t Do Their Work

Some districts have embraced “no‑zero” grading policies, arguing that a zero can cripple a student’s academic confidence. Canadian educator Lynden Dorval found himself at odds with this philosophy in 2014.

When faced with students who refused to submit assignments, Dorval assigned them zeros, believing that a lack of work warranted a zero. The school board, however, interpreted the policy as mandating a minimum grade—typically a 50%—for any effort, even if the work was absent.

Consequently, Dorval was suspended and eventually fired. He appealed the decision, won his case in court, and was awarded back pay and pension benefits, though he never returned to the classroom.

2 A Teacher Was Fired for Making OnlyFans Videos in Her Classroom

After‑hours activities can sometimes blur professional boundaries, but Arizona’s Amanda Peer took it to an extreme. She operated an OnlyFans account, using her middle‑school classroom after hours to film explicit content.

Despite using a pseudonym and restricting access to her videos, a tip led to the discovery of the material. While the school technically cited “conduct unbecoming” rather than the explicit content itself, Peer was pressured to resign under the promise that nothing would become public.

She ultimately left her position, claiming she was forced out, and her husband—who appeared in several videos—also lost his substitute teaching job.

1 A Florida Teacher Was Fired for Arranging a Gang Beating

Physical violence in schools is a nightmare for any parent, but a 2014 incident in Florida took it to a terrifying new level. Veteran teacher Dru Dehart orchestrated a coordinated assault on a seventh‑grader who had dared to speak back to her.

Video evidence shows Dehart rallying six eighth‑graders, urging them to “teach him a lesson.” The students subdued the boy, delivering punches and kicks while Dehart taunted him, insisting he wasn’t “so tough now.”

Dehart later claimed the student had threatened her, but witnesses corroborated the boy’s harmless complaint. The school’s investigation was swift, resulting in her immediate dismissal.

Losing a job can feel like a punch to the gut, no matter why it happens. Whether you’re a chronic under‑performer, a victim of corporate downsizing, or somehow managed to anger a very powerful person at a dinner table, there’s usually a logical explanation for the pink slip. Yet every now and then, an employee gets the boot for a reason so outlandish that even the sternest manager would raise an eyebrow. Below are 10 ridiculous reasons people got fired, ranging from a blog‑post gone wrong to a decades‑old misdemeanor.

10 Flight Attendant Fired for Blogging

Why This Is One of the 10 Ridiculous Reasons

In the era of personal websites, it’s almost expected that anyone with a spare laptop will maintain a blog. Ellen Simonetti, a former Delta flight attendant, wasn’t exempt – she kept a diary called “Diary of a Flight Attendant.” The catch? Delta discovered the blog in 2004, dug through her posts, and decided the airline didn’t want its employees broadcasting behind‑the‑scenes details. While she never slandered the carrier, the airline took issue with a photo showing a glimpse of her bra under the uniform, deeming it “inappropriate.” In short, what once was a sexy perk of the job turned into a career‑ending liability, and Simonetti was escorted out of the cockpit.

9 0

When a high‑school basketball coach leads his squad to a 100‑point shutout, most would call it a triumph. Micah Grimes, however, saw his career implode after his girls’ team at Covenant School trounced a rival academy 100‑0 in 2009. The opposing school catered to students with learning differences, and the blowout was deemed “un‑Christlike” by the private Christian school’s administration. Spectators were reportedly cheering as the score climbed, but the school’s leadership felt the margin embarrassed the institution’s values. Grimes refused to apologize, and the incident cemented his place on the list of oddball firings.

8 Woman Fired for Being Irresistible

Melissa Nelson spent a decade as a dental assistant in Iowa, earning a reputation for competence and punctuality. Her boss, James Knight, however, claimed she was “far too sexy” for the workplace. After his wife complained, Knight handed her a termination notice, alleging her scrubs were too tight and that her casual remark about a nonexistent sex life was unprofessional. When Nelson sued, a court surprisingly upheld the firing, stating the employer’s concerns about workplace distraction were legitimate. The case highlighted a bizarre intersection of attractiveness, harassment law, and employment rights.

7 Waiter Fired for Stopping a Carjacking

Juan Canales worked the night shift at a Thai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. One evening he witnessed a woman being carjacked by a knife‑wielding assailant. Throwing caution to the wind, Canales sprinted outside, tackled the attacker, and held him until police arrived. While the community praised his bravery, his employer promptly terminated his employment, citing the unwanted publicity the incident generated for the restaurant. The owner apparently feared that a heroic act would draw unwanted media attention, proving that sometimes doing the right thing can cost you your job.

6 Eagles Employee Fired for a Facebook Status

Dan Leone, a stadium worker for the Philadelphia Eagles, let his frustration spill onto Facebook after beloved safety Brian Dawkins left for Denver. His post vented about management’s decision, catching the eye of the organization’s HR department. Within days, Leone was dismissed. The episode sparked a media frenzy, even prompting Dawkins himself to hand Leone tickets and publicly comment on the situation. The case underscores how a single social‑media outburst can land you on the unemployment line, especially when it involves the beloved local sports team.

5 People Fired for Wearing Orange to Work

At a Florida law firm, employees had a long‑standing tradition: on payday they wore orange shirts to celebrate and head out for happy hour. The bright hue, synonymous with the Sunshine State, was harmless fun for years. In 2012, however, a new executive team misinterpreted the orange apparel as a protest against management. Fourteen staff members were terminated for “insubordination,” despite there being no policy banning the color. The incident suggests that even a cheerful dress code can become a firing trigger when corporate culture shifts.

4 Guy Fired for Repeating a Seinfeld Joke

John Preston, a Cedar Falls native, thought it would be hilarious to borrow a classic Seinfeld line. During a company retreat, coworkers began saying “You’re so good looking” instead of “bless you” whenever someone sneezed – a direct nod to an episode of the sitcom. Preston kept the gag going back at the office, often directing it at a female colleague. Management deemed the repeated quip as sexual harassment, and Preston was promptly terminated. The episode shows how a beloved TV reference can cross the line into workplace misconduct.

3 Woman Fired for Typing in All Caps

Vicki Walker, a New Zealand employee, had a penchant for shouting via email – literally. She routinely sent messages in all caps, often using bright red fonts, which many colleagues found abrasive. When she sued for wrongful termination, the court ruled in her favor, noting that the employer presented only a single offending email as evidence. Walker’s case illustrates how an over‑zealous approach to digital communication can lead to a dramatic exit, even when the legal system ultimately sides with the employee.

2 Lifeguards Fired for a Gangnam Style Parody

When the viral phenomenon “Gangnam Style” swept the globe, fourteen California lifeguards decided to have a little fun, filming a parody dubbed “Lifeguard Style” while wearing their city‑issued swimsuits. The video, posted during off‑hours, quickly went viral, prompting the city to fire all involved for using official uniforms in a non‑official capacity. After public outcry, the city reinstated the lifeguards a month later, acknowledging the overreaction. The episode demonstrates how a light‑hearted meme can temporarily jeopardize a career.

1 Guy Fired for a Minor Crime from 50 Years Ago

Richard Eggers, a 68‑year‑old Des Moines native, lost his position at a Wells Fargo branch after a background check revealed a 1963 misdemeanor. As a teenager, Eggers had used a cardboard dime to cheat a laundromat’s coin‑operated machines – a petty “money‑laundering” incident that technically fell under new federal banking regulations prohibiting employment of anyone convicted of “dishonesty, breach of trust, or money laundering.” The bank’s interpretation was wildly literal, and Eggers was dismissed for a crime that, in reality, involved no actual laundering of cash. His story caps off the list of absurd terminations.

While each of these scenarios reads like something out of a sitcom, they serve as a reminder that workplace policies can be interpreted in wildly unpredictable ways. Whether it’s a blog post, a color choice, or a decades‑old prank, the line between acceptable behavior and termination can sometimes be as thin as a single email in all caps.

When we talk about the phrase 10 teachers fired, most people expect scandalous misconduct. Yet, these ten educators lost their jobs for reasons that range from the merely odd to the downright ridiculous. Below, we explore each case in detail, delivering a fun but factual look at how the education system sometimes goes off the rails.

10 Teachers Fired for Outrageously Unfair Reasons

Carla was an elementary school teacher in a small Mexican town when she took a short vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. If you know anything about Cabo, you know it’s a fun place to unwind, and that’s exactly what she did. While wearing a bikini, she entered and won a dance competition, earning herself a quick $260. The dancing involved twerking and moving in a provocative manner. The Internet being what it is, and Carla being an attractive woman, the video went viral, and within a few hours, it was making the rounds online.

Carla didn’t think anything of her participation in the competition, so she finished her vacation, packed her things, and returned home to Cuidad Obregon in northern Mexico. When she showed up to work, thinking everything was alright, she was pulled aside by her superiors and fired. Carla spoke about her termination in an interview with Reforma, a Mexican newspaper, “I was singled out as immoral, called immature and a whore. I’m not doing anything wrong. It’s a dance competition, and participating in it does not define me as a person. I’m not naked or having sex, much less consuming drugs or disrespecting someone.”

9 Being A Lesbian

You would think that it’s none of anyone’s business what a person’s sexual orientation is, but when it comes to a place like Covenant Christian School in Palm Bay, Florida, it’s everyone’s business. Monica Toro Lisciandro was a seasoned theater teacher, and the director of the school’s plays, but on October 2nd, 2019, she was called into the school administrators’ office unexpectedly. Not knowing what was happening, she strolled in and was outed as a lesbian, which was something she kept private up to that point.

“They told me that someone called the school with allegations against me and said I was in a relationship with another woman, that I attend pride events and that I host ‘homosexual’ activities at the studio.” She was outed after spending 35 years in the closet, so she decided to admit who she was, and she was promptly fired for violating the school’s morality policy, but only after she was lectured about sin. Lisciandro is fighting the termination, but there’s not much hope she will be successful. As of early 2020, there are no federal or Florida state laws protecting LGBTQ people from termination.

8 Starring In Adult Films

Most people expect the teachers watching over their children to be of good moral judgment, and while it’s not necessarily immoral to film yourself having sex, few parents would be pleased to learn that their child’s teacher was a porn star. That’s what happened in 2016 when the University of Manchester learned that one of its professors had been involved in filming pornography a decade earlier. Goddard, an Oxford‑educated Chemical Engineering teacher, had gone through a stressful divorce, and turned to porn as an outlet… as one does.

The university suspended him immediately, and if you search for Goddard online, you will find that the then‑60‑year‑old professor appeared in dozens of films, often with women 40 years his junior under the pseudonym, “Old Nick.” As that was the age of most of his students, it’s no wonder the university took action when his pornography career came to light. With the suspension active, Goddard stepped down and resigned from his teaching position. He wasn’t technically fired, but he knew he eventually would be and opted to take control of the situation and return to pornography.

7 Saying The Word “Vagina”

Allison Wint was working as a substitute art teacher at a Michigan middle school when the topic of Georgia O’Keeffe’s work came up as a topic of conversation. Now, if you know anything about O’Keeffe’s portfolio, it’s that all of those flowers were representative of vaginas. It’s not some lurid conspiracy theory about her paintings; it’s a widely accepted interpretation of her work. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it seems the administrators at the Harper Creek Middle School will abide the teaching of her paintings, but not the utterance of the word “vagina.”

What she actually said, as she recalled to the Detroit Free Press, was, “Imagine walking into a gallery when [O’Keeffe] was first showing her pieces, and thinking, ‘Am I actually seeing vaginas here, am I a pervert? I’m either a pervert or this woman was a pervert.’” She said the word approximately ten times in the course of her instruction, though, “it was never in a vulgar capacity.” The following day, the school principal informed her that she violated the school’s policy of discussing reproductive health without prior approval and terminated her.

6 Wearing A One‑Piece Bathing Suit

Viktoria Popova was a teacher at School Number 7 in Omsk, Russia, until some photos of her were found online. The pictures didn’t show her doing anything naughty or nasty; she was simply wearing a bathing suit. According to the Siberian Times, Popova had posted pictures of herself modeling swimwear on her Instagram page, and for that, she was fired for “bringing her school and profession into disrepute.” The firing sparked outrage on social media, and within short order, more than 3,000 other women and teachers posted pictures online of themselves in bikinis and other swimwear with the hashtag, “teachers are people too.”

Interestingly, this was one situation where the social media outrage may have worked. When the swimsuit photos began posting all over the Internet, the Omsk Region government made an announcement that Popova could return to her job. The government issued a statement: “The question of Viktoria’s future employment has been decided: she may decide to work as a teacher either at this school or another one.” Though this was undoubtedly good news, other options popped up as a result of the controversial firing, as she was quickly courted by the modeling agency, Plus Size Omsk.

5 Cleaning Up A Dangerous Spill

John Maxwell was a sixth‑grade science teacher at Pound Middle School in Omaha who was loved by his students. They lovingly referred to him as Mr. M. One day, he brought a vial of mercury to school to show the students how the element remained in a liquid state and other interesting aspects of mercury. One such aspect became a problem when a student accidentally dropped the vial. It cracked, and a small amount of mercury spilled, which was approximately the size of a nickel or quarter. Knowing how dangerous mercury is if it makes contact with skin, Maxwell cleaned it up and continued with his lesson.

Unfortunately, he did the deed himself, and while he managed to take care of the problem right there and then, doing so violated the school’s policy. He was supposed to report the spill, and when the principal learned of the accident that Sunday after a concerned parent called him at home, he launched an investigation the next day. Eventually, the investigation warranted Mr. M’s termination from the school, and one student reported on Redditt that he was working another job in a different school, elsewhere in the state.

4 Putting Out A Fire

When you’re working at a daycare center, it’s important to ensure the safety of all the children present. That’s especially true when a fire breaks out, which is exactly what happened at a Florida daycare center where Michelle Hammack worked. Not wanting to see a bunch of children die from smoke inhalation and… you know, being burned to death, Hammack rushed into action. She grabbed a fire extinguisher, and put out the flames, saving all the children in the room, and had the fire spread, possibly the entire daycare center. Was she lauded as a hero? No, she was fired a few hours later.

The reason she was terminated is incredibly baffling because her boss fired her for leaving the children in her room unattended. She did that so she could put out the fire, suggesting the daycare manager would have preferred she watch the fire spread from another room instead of putting it out. What’s worse is, there’s no ambiguity about why she was fired. Her boss explained her termination in an interview, saying, “I fired her only because she left her room. It’s not acceptable, and if anybody else does the same thing, I will fire again. I will fire them. No question.”

3 Giving Students 0% For No Work

Diane Tirado was a teacher in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she had taught for 17 years. In 2018, she began teaching social studies to eighth‑graders at West Gate K‑8 School, but she wouldn’t last the entire year. In a bizarre rule the school imposed, Mrs. Tirado was fired for giving children a 0% when they failed to turn in an assignment. She has explained that the school has a rule that says, in red ink and all caps in the school handbook, “NO ZERO’S – LOWEST POSSIBLE GRADE IS 50%.” She disagreed with the rule and was given a termination letter on September 14th, 2018.

When she got the axe, she wrote a note on the board, which she snapped and shared on Facebook. Her note read, “Bye, kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life! I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50% for not handing anything in. <3 Mrs. Tirado.” Of course, with a story like this one, there are conflicting accounts. It was later revealed that Mrs. Tirado was terminated for putting a student in a choke‑hold and slapping another. She denies those allegations and sought council to sew the school district.

2 Getting Pregnant

Private religious schools often have morality and lifestyle clauses in their contracts. When a teacher or other employee is found to have broken one of those clauses, they are often terminated, but even when this happens, it’s usually unfair and outright ridiculous. For one teacher, it became a reality after she became pregnant by her fiance. Teri James was employed at San Diego Christian College, and she did sign a lifestyle contract, which, in part, said that she must refrain from premarital sex, as that was the school’s standing as it related to living a supposedly holy lifestyle.

It was all going well and good for Ms. James, right up to the point she became pregnant. That wasn’t something she could hide, and as a result, the school terminated her for having premarital sex. That’s not the end of the story, though; when she left the school, the job was offered to the man who impregnated her. That man being her fiance who also engaged in premarital sex! This was a perfect example of the disparity of treatment for women and men when it comes to these so‑called lifestyle morality clauses in contracts. Women are often fired over wearing bathing suits while men aren’t, and seeing as men can’t become pregnant, James was singled out.

1 Taking Care Of Her Students

Jennifer Mitts was a teacher at Red Bank High School in Tennessee who cared for her students. On two separate occasions, Mitts did the unthinkable: she helped her students when there was no other option. Her initial foray into helping out a kid who was desperately in need of her assistance came when a 17‑year‑old‑girl, who was pregnant, was running a high fever and had pneumonia. Mitts drove her to the Emergency Room so she could receive treatment, and the student has since credited Mitts with saving her and her baby’s lives.

The second time, she had a student who was very sick, so she drove her to the Emergency Room, and because the student had no medical insurance, she paid the expenses out of her own pocket! Most people would label her a hero, and move on, but the school district went another route. Unfortunately, America is a highly litigious society, which made her actions dangerous for the school district. Despite the fact that she went above and beyond, she was forced to resign over the two incidents. She’s not without her supporters, and after teaching for 14 years, those supporters came out to petition for the school to hire her back, but the principal has thus far refused.