High School Principal Caught Working At Walmart Gives Heartfelt Explanation

Anyone who visited the Charleston, South Carolina, Walmart at night would probably run into a hard-working employee named Henry Darby. But what most unsuspecting shoppers probably didn't realize was that Henry was also the principal of a local high school. While many people in the community expressed confusion over Henry's double life, the truth behind his busy schedule would rock his community to its core...

Keeping quiet

Henry has always been a private person. As such, not many people knew that he was balancing two jobs at once. "I don't think that I've done anything really of distinction to warrant the attention," a humble Henry commented during an interview. But, if that was the case, then why was Henry suddenly in the media spotlight?

The graveyard shift

Well, for one thing, his schedule seemed superhuman. From 10 p.m. until 7 a.m., Henry tirelessly toiled away at his local Walmart. And while his coworkers might have been happy to head home after the overnight shift, Darby didn't have that luxury. He had his other job — not to mention his role as a community leader — to take on.

Molding future leaders

As soon as he finished his Walmart shift, Henry would travel to North Charleston High School, where he was the beloved principal. Henry maintained personal relationships with his students and kept close tabs on their well-being. Sadly, many of these kids faced grueling challenges.

Understanding the students' hardships

North Charleston High School was not one of those schools that are located in a well-to-do area. In fact, over 90% of its student body came from families that lived below the poverty line. When asked about his students' struggles, Henry couldn't hold back the tears in his eyes.

A harsh reality

During a pressing interview, Henry revealed the harsh condition under which many of his students suffered. While some found themselves sleeping under a bridge, others ended up sleeping in a car, as their families were unable to afford a proper home. Astonishingly, this wasn't the full extent of the issues faced by North Charleston's attendees.

House visits

Henry enjoyed checking in on his students at their homes, where he talked to them about their lives and ensured that they were in a safe environment. During these visits, he encountered homes where there were windows without curtains and bare mattresses laying on the floor, with no other furniture around. Understandably, these conditions inspired Henry to lend a helping hand.

The pandemic strikes

While already faced with a swarm of struggles, the lives of the kids of North Charleston High School were about to get even more complicated as COVID-19 swept across the globe. Suddenly, limited finances were not their only issue. Now, students' health and social lives were about to be impacted as well.

Coming up with a plan

Though already dedicated to his students, Henry was forced to think of new solutions as the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as they knew it. His life coaching and home visits would no longer be a way to see them through tough times. But little did the community know that Henry had a plan.

Taking action

Remember how Henry called himself a fairly private person? Well, one day, he came up with a solution that nobody else was even aware of. Henry applied for a night shift position at Walmart, not even mentioning to the store manager that he was also a school principal. At that moment, Henry began to show the true extent of his generosity.

Henry's nonstop work

Every evening, Henry would drive from his day job as a principal to his night job at Walmart, where he would stock shelves on the graveyard shift. In a true act of kindness, Henry would dedicate every single dime of his Walmart income to his students by purchasing whatever supplies they lacked. But it would only be a matter of time until word of his double life got out...

Making an impact

Even before Henry's secret was revealed, Walmart manager Cynthia Solomon knew that there was something special about him. "I would be so happy to have Mr. Darby for as long as he will have us as a part of his family", Cynthia exclaimed. But what inspired the principal to express such kindness and tireless dedication toward his students?

A reflection of himself

When Henry saw his students, he was immediately reminded of his own childhood struggles. Having lost his father at a young age, Henry and his mother had to seek alternative ways to make ends meet. He recalled going with his mother to collect milk and soda bottles from the roadside, while also visiting the dump to see if there was anything that could help them get by.

Getting creative

Henry remembered how one day at the dump, his mother reached into all the gunk and fished out a white cloth. From that piece of fabric, she was able to make Henry a shirt to wear to school. "I am very appreciative of my mother, who had no shame in helping her child to become a teacher." Sadly, tragedy would soon strike.

Fulfilling a dream

"My son is going to become a teacher," Henry's proud mother would say of her son. Tragically, she never managed to see her boy fulfill this goal, as she passed away while he was still in college. Still, Henry never forgot his mother's sacrifice.

Henry's kindness is revealed

Driven by his mother's memory, Henry worked tirelessly at Walmart to support his students while providing them with education during the day. That is, until the community discovered Henry's double life. Truly taken aback by his absolute selflessness, his Walmart family decided that it was high time to provide Henry and his school with a much-deserved reward.

The gathering

One day in the chilly winter, the staff at Henry's Walmart decided to call him to a gathering on his school's football field, where a large group of his students waited to greet him. It was there that Henry was interviewed by reporters from The Today Show, who were touched by his selfless acts of kindness. But what Henry didn't know was that there was a surprise waiting for him.

The build-up

As Henry engaged in his heartwarming interview, his Walmart manager Cynthia stood by his side, along with the rest of his Walmart associates. Soon enough, the interviewer called Cynthia to center stage, where she stepped forward with a blue Walmart bag in her hand. What lay inside would change the lives of Henry's students forever.

The gift

Once Cynthia and her staff found out about Henry's double life, she explained, they desperately wanted to help him uplift the students of North Charleston High School. After opening the bag, Henry's jaw dropped to the floor as he saw a check for $50,000 written out. But even as his students erupted in applause, Henry knew that his job wasn't over yet.

Continuing his mission

Even with North Charleston receiving such a large donation, Henry was determined to continue working night shifts at Walmart and sending all his wages to his students. There was just one thing that Henry requested from his students in return, however.

Henry's message to his students

He only asked these young people to do one thing: "It’s quite simple, simplistic. Just learn to help others. That is one of the greatest things we can do in terms of human beings.” But as another star educator will attest, making a difference isn't always easy. Like Henry, Jocelyn Morffi went above and beyond for her students — until she was unceremoniously let go.

Beloved teacher

Jocelyn Morffi, a 32-year-old educator from Miami, Florida was called to teach to make a difference in her community. The first-grade teacher loved her students and they loved her back. In fact, even the parents adored her. Everything was perfect — or so it seemed.

The Mother Teresa of teachers

Jocelyn was well known by the parents and staff and was one of the most popular teachers at the school. Parents of her students praised her and referred to Miss Morffi as the "Mother Teresa of teachers," and for a good reason!

Tried to be a source of hope

As a teacher of children who are so young and impressionable, Jocelyn found it difficult to talk to her students about the tragedies that occur around the world on a daily basis. She wanted her conversations with them to be filled with hope rather than fear.

Volunteered at shelter

Together with her class, she started brainstorming ideas on how to give back to the community and instill hope in her students. They came up with the idea to volunteer at their local homeless shelter.

Letter to parents

Jocelyn recalled, "When I came back from that first feeding, I asked the school if it's possible for them to back me up, and I got authorization to send out a letter to the parents stating what's going on and if they would like to contribute in any way."

#TeachHope

Additionally, Jocelyn used her platform on social media to start a program to encourage her students, their parents, and the community to join her in her new initiative. She used the hashtag #TeachHope to spread the word.

Led by example

With her social media campaign and the support of her students, Jocelyn was ready to start making a difference and could only hope that the community followed in her footsteps.

Unexpected turnout

Jocelyn was overwhelmed with support when her students and their parents showed up to volunteer at the homeless shelter with her. Parents also brought generous donations like loves of bread, meats, cheeses, and snacks to bag up and hand out.

Kids enjoyed it

Miss Morffi's students were passionate about her new program. A class parent and co-worker stated, "They wake me up bright and early on Sunday saying, 'Mom, we have to teach hope.'" The kids were excited to contribute positively to their communities. Everyone agreed, Miss Moriffi was an integral part of the school and their lives.

Absent from school

Having their kids spend every day with the "Mother Theresa of teachers" is every parent's dream. That's why the parents were immediately concerned when Jocelyn stopped showing up to school — and very confused.

Getting married

See, Jocelyn was scheduled to have some time off from work because she was celebrating something very special. She was about to marry the love of her life and best friend. She just assumed when it was all over, her life would return to normal.

Wedding hashtag

Prior to the big day, Jocelyn set up a wedding website to show all of the important information regarding her wedding and to inform her guests of the festivities. She set up a wedding hashtag so her loved ones could follow the event online.

Squashed the celebration

The couple planned a weekend-long celebration at the Key Largo Lighthouse estate. On Friday they held a welcome bash, followed by a seaside wedding ceremony on Saturday, with a goodbye barbecue on Sunday... but things didn't go as planned in the days following.

Parents were mad

When parents brought their children to St. Peter and Paul Catholic School following the wedding, they were shocked to see that their beloved teacher had not returned. When the parents learned why Miss Morffi was no longer there, they were outraged.

They fired her

Since Jocelyn was such a known presence in the community and on social media, the school saw pictures of her wedding ceremony. According to the school, what they saw in those photos left them with no choice but to fire her.

School didn't approve

Her Instagram displayed photos of Jocelyn and her wife joining in holy matrimony. Because same-sex marriage is not accepted in the Roman Catholic church, the school relieved Jocelyn of her duties as a teacher at the school.

Teacher takes stand

Jocelyn took to her social media and wrote this: "This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result. In their eyes, I'm not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner."

School notified parents

The parents who didn't follow Miss Morffi on Instagram found out from a letter through the school, which stated that "She is no longer teaching at our school," and it was "a difficult and necessary decision."

Angry backlash

The following day, dozens of angry parents showed up at the school. One parent told the news, "We feel cheated. She was the best kind of teacher that you can ask for and our kids, everybody, every parent here — our kids loved her."

Violated her contract

Parents threatened to pull their children from the school if she wasn't reinstated. Unfortunately, Catholic schools, like many other schools, are not subject to the states public school laws. So, in the eyes of the Catholic school board, Miss Morffi was in violation of her contract when she married the woman she loved.

Fighting back

As of 2018, Jocelyn was seeking legal advice to figure out her options. Her attorney stated, "Jocelyn is humbled by all the love and support she has received from family, friends, the students' parents, and the public. She feels that the manner of her firing was unfair, not only to her but to her students as well."