Marie Jean Pierre is a 60-year-old Haitian immigrant who was fired by the Conrad Hotel in Miami, Florida because she refuses to work on Sundays. But rather than falling into financial ruin, the Lord blessed her faithfulness.
Marie washed dishes at the Conrad for almost 10 years. At first, the hotel, aware of her involvement in the Soldiers of Christ Church, exempted her from working on Sundays so she could attend services.
But in 2015, the hotel’s kitchen manager, George Colon, assigned Marie to work every Sunday. Her co-worker tried to help Marie by trading shifts for several weeks but her boss demanded her to show-up for her assigned shifts.
The devout Christian and diligent employee who gave her job a decade of her service was then fired.
“I love God. No, I can’t work on Sunday because Sunday, I honor God,” Marie boldly said in her interview with NBC 6 South Florida.
Because of what happened, Marie decided to sue the Conrad, managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts, in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May 2017.
“Defendant retaliated against Plaintiff by, among other things, creating a hostile work environment for Plaintiff, reprimanding Plaintiff for her religious beliefs, and terminating Plaintiff,” Marie’s lawsuit stated.
After the case hearing, a federal jury in Miami demanded the hotel to pay Marie $36,000 for lost wages, $500,000 for emotional anguish, and $21 million in punitive damages, Miami Herald Stated.
“But this was not about money. This was about sending a message to other corporations, whether big or small, whatever size you are, if you’re gonna take the blood and sweat of your workers, you better accommodate them or let them at least believe in their religious beliefs.” Marie’s lawyer shared.
Aside from being a faithful servant of God, Marie is also a missionary.
This eye-opening story reminds us not only to put God first in our lives, but to live by our convictions. Christians need to show to the world that the God we serve deserves all the honor and glory in our lives.
Credits: NBC 6 South Florida
This article was compiled by Kriza Jo L. Tanduyan.