Sinning By Detraction Advice

[Scott_D]

Hello All:

I work in a middle school where I have 2 coworkers, one is a teacher and one is a tech person, who have appeared to be flirting with each other for the last year and a half. The teacher is married with kids. I have always said, “You never know. They could be just good friends.” Recently, one of my co-workers said he spotted them kissing outside in our school parking lot after school when no kids were around. My co-worker said he didn’t want to be involved and won’t say anything. Several other teachers have complained about their flirtations to our administration.
Now…finally with the question. I am quite concerned about their behavior causing scandal to the kids. I told a couple coworkers I work closely with about the kissing episode but didn’t reveal who saw it. One of my coworkers always has her nose to the ground and I thought that we could catch them “red handed” we could confront them with evidence and put a stop to it. Her husband, who works in a different school, is clueless to the whole matter. Is this sinning by detraction, even though most people in the school know of their flirtations?

 

[mommy_k]

Scandal is already in action here-

If the coworker who witnessed this is not getting involved, there was no reason for them to gossip to others creating scandal for the coworkers.

They are involved, but don’t want to get their hands dirty. A truly uninvolved person would have not said anything to anyone. Just be aware of this.

It is a sin to scandalize people, gossip, and talk about others behind their backs negatively-whether it’s true or not. So yes, it’s a sin.

If someone’s behavior is wrong, you correct the person about what you witness with a private conversation, so they can correct the behavior. No need to catch them redhanded and add to the drama or talk about this to others.

Because children are involved,it is serious so, the next step would be to go privately to administration if the flirting co-workers continue flirting and so on.

 

[Scott_D]

How can you tell if its mortal or not? The thing is that the whole building knows of their flirtations and our administrators have done nothing.

 

[Scott_D]

Thanks for your reply by the way.

 

[mommy_k]

The next step in admonishment would be to bring it to the church-ie: in this case, get direction from a priest.

Two wrongs never make a right, and that is what is happening. That’s why we are told to go directly to the sinner, so they can correct as the first step.

Your intention to protect the children from moral corruption is wonderful, and God sees your heart regarding this.

 

[ready]

Hello All:

I work in a middle school where I have 2 coworkers, one is a teacher and one is a tech person, who have appeared to be flirting with each other for the last year and a half. The teacher is married with kids. I have always said, “You never know. They could be just good friends.” Recently, one of my co-workers said he spotted them kissing outside in our school parking lot after school when no kids were around. My co-worker said he didn’t want to be involved and won’t say anything. Several other teachers have complained about their flirtations to our administration.
Now…finally with the question. I am quite concerned about their behavior causing scandal to the kids. I told a couple coworkers I work closely with about the kissing episode but didn’t reveal who saw it. One of my coworkers always has her nose to the ground and I thought that we could catch them “red handed” we could confront them with evidence and put a stop to it. Her husband, who works in a different school, is clueless to the whole matter. Is this sinning by detraction, even though most people in the school know of their flirtations?

I believe that for it to be the sin of detraction you would have had to reveal the faults of another for no good reason, at the expense of the person’s good name and to hurt the person’s name. Ask a priest about this, as I am not quite sure about this. God bless you.