#Question:

Betty Bohemus, a devout Roman Catholic, worked for RipMoff Stores, Inc. in Lizard Lick, Texas.RipMoff considered Ms. Bohemus a productive employee because her sales exceeded $200,000 per year.The store gave its managers the discretion to grant unpaid leave to employees but prohibited vacations or leave during the holiday season of October through December.Ms. Bohemus felt that she had a "calling" to go on a "pilgrimage" in October to a location in Antartica where some of the workers there claimed to have seen visions of the Virgin Mary in the ice.The Catholic Church had not yet designated the site an official pilgrimage site.The visions were not expected to be stronger in October and visits to the site could be arranged at times other than October. The store manager denied Ms. Bohemus request for leave, but she had purchased a nonrefundable ticket for travel and left anyway.RipMoff terminated her employment.She could not find another job and has been out of work.She wants to know her rights and if she could prevail in getting her job back along with compensation. As an aside, she reports that her sciatica was cured by the vision.

1. Please offer a a well reasoned and articulate discussion including analysis of the relevant facts, legal issues, statutes and precedent, and the rationale for your arguments on the legal implications of the following scenario.