article: Two Florida women who are in a relationship and worked at the same daycare center are fighting to get their jobs back after they were fired for being gay. Jaclyn Pfeiffer, 29, worked at the Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center in Orange County full-time for the last 18 months, while her partner, Kelly Bardier, 33, was recently employed as a part-time teacher. The two have been together since October. However they were both terminated after the director, Barbara Twachtman, heard rumors about the two and asked Pfeiffer whether she was seeing Bardier . 'I feel like if a person can do their job, gay, straight or whatever, they should be able to work and do their job that they love to do,' Pfieffer told Click Orlando. Fired for being gay: According to Jaclyn Pfeiffer, 29 (left), rumors of her sexual orientation began to circulate after her girlfriend, Kelly Bardier, 33 (right), took a job in another part of the school as a substitute teacher . Termination: Even though the couple insisted they had tried to keep their relationship private, the director of Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center fired both of them because of their sexuality . School: Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center receives $2,442 in taxpayer funding per child from the state of Florida for providing voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) during the school year . 'I never thought they would actually fire me for being gay.' Bardier added that she was given the option to 'change her lifestyle' to keep her position. The daycare is run by Aloma United Methodist Church. In a statement, the church said they 'felt the need' to let both women go. 'We can say decisions regarding their employment involve long-standing local church policies intended to reflect the beliefs and values of this congregation,' Gretchen Hastings, director of communications for the Florida Conference UMC, said in a statement to Click Orlando. 'These are policies applicable to all employees. Our church continues to be in prayer for all of those affected.' Together: Jaclyn Pfeiffer, 29, and Kelly Bardier, 33, seen here at Disney World, have been together since October last year . However Pfieffer and Bardier are hitting back. They content they were unaware of the church's stance against gays when they accepted their jobs. They have now hired a lawyer, Mary Meeks, who maintains that religious freedom does not mean workers can be fired because of their sexual orientation. They have threatened to sue Aloma United Methodist Church if they do not reinstate Pfieffer and Barider and offer an apology by  April 15. According to The Orlando Sentinel, a resolution passed in 2008 states that the church opposes 'all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation'. Strict: Despite the state funding, Aloma Methodist broke no state or federal laws when the couple's employment was terminated, they maintain . After the two were fired, Twatchman emailed parents saying Pfeiffer, who is well-like by the two-year-olds she cares for, had decided to leave for 'personal reasons'. Twatchman added she had been a 'wonderful teacher' who was 'gifted with children'. 'I am very sad that she is leaving,' the email said, according to The Sentinel. Unemployed: Jaclyn Pfeiffer and Kelly Bardier say they were terminated from their jobs at Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center after the school discovered they were in a relationship .
highlights: Jaclyn Pfeiffer, 29, worked at the Aloma Methodist Early Childhood Learning Center in Orange County, Florida, full-time for about 18 months .
  She started dating Kelly Bardier, 33, in October .
  Bardier recently started part-time at the daycare .
  Both were fired when staff learned of their relationship .
  They say they were unaware of the center's stance against homosexuals .
  Have asked for their jobs back by April 15, or will sue for discrimination .
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