Marie Jarry on Howard Stern and 5 Ways to Protect Your Career

According to the Chicago Tribune, Aaron Jarry says his wife, Marie Jarry, was forced to resign from her second grade teaching position by Thalberg School community. Marie Jarry entered and won a contest on controversial Howard Stern's talk show. Marie Jarry and Aaron Jarry were the $5,000 winners of Howard Stern's talk show contest "Ugliest Man, Hottest Wife". Once the pictures were released of Marie Jarry in a bikini on Howard Stern's show the community was up in arms and pressured Marie Jarry to quit her second grade teaching job.

These pictures were on Howard Stern's show, what parent of a second grader is going to let their child watch or even listen to this show? The community was out of line. Doesn't Marie Jarry get time off to go to the beach? The students would actually have a better chance of seeing her on the beach than on HOWARD STERN'S show, unless of course the parents of the second graders weren't monitoring what their children were doing. Marie Jarry is now suing the district.

If the circumstances of the bikini picture were a little different then I would be all for Marie Jarry being terminated. First, she entered a contest. What if she had entered the Miss America pageant? Would she have been terminated because of the swimsuit competition? Secondly, what child is going to see Howard Stern's show? If the child saw the show then the parents' values should be in question. Marie Jarry had every right to be on the Howard Stern's show wearing a bikini with her husband because of the contest she won. None of her students would have been the wiser had the parents kept their mouths shut. Third, doesn't the area have a pool that everyone goes to in the summer? Had Marie Jarry been at the pool in her bikini would the school have fired her?

Using a sick day to go to Howard Stern's show was wrong but using a sick day for something other than being sick is reason for termination?

Here are five common-sense ways employees can protect their jobs:

1. If you have a high profile job where you are held to a higher standard than a regular Joe you want to be careful of the clothes you wear. If you are going to be seen in public make sure you are in adequately covered clothing. Don't let any body parts be seen or have them hanging out of the clothes. Look professional at all times if this is the lifestyle you have chosen and hope to keep.

2. Never use sick days as vacation days unless your employer has approved the usage. If you use a sick day for a vacation day and it is against policy do not be in a highly visible area. You don't want to be found shopping, watching your favorite sports game, or viewed on a national show.

3. When in public do not cause disturbances. You don't want to bring attention to yourself. If you are going out drinking go to another town. Have a designated driver. Don't give anyone the chance to find out about your personal life. Unfortunately if your career lifestyle is held to higher standards you have to live up to them, if you don't want to abide by the standards either find a new job or hide your personal life.

4. Only "cut loose" away from the state you work and live in depending on the type of career you have. Be sensible. If there is any chance at all that people are going to see you acting in a way they will consider inappropriate behavior for you, then don't do it or be prepared for a career change or scandal. Keep your personal life personal.

5. Act like an adult. Use your head. You should know what is expected of you so if you want to keep your life the way it is be sure to act the way you are expected to act. Say and do what is expected of you.

To sum it up keep your personal life personal at all times, wear decent clothing, don't take advantage of your employer, don't cause disturbances, be sensible, and act like an adult. Marie Jarry might have used poor judgment but not in a manner that should have put her job in jeopardy. If it was a typical Howard Stern contest of how many times do your breasts shake in one jump then I would rethink my outlook. This was a husband/wife competition of beauty and the beast. It was on Howard Stern and no one would have ever been the wiser that was in her class room.