Fired pregnant teacher sues Catholic school

[kramadas]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/22/pregnantteacher.suit.ap/index.html

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal discrimination complaint against a Catholic school, charging that it unjustly fired an unmarried teacher for being pregnant.

"I don't understand how a religion that prides itself on forgiving and on valuing life could terminate me because I'm pregnant and choosing to have this baby," Michelle McCusker said Monday at a news conference to announce the suit.

The 26-year-old preschool teacher was fired last month from St. Rose of Lima in Queens, according to published reports. The Diocese of Brooklyn also was named in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint.

"This is a difficult situation for every person involved, but the school had no choice but to follow the principles contained in the teachers' personnel handbook," diocese spokesman Frank DeRosa said in a news release.

The handbook says that each teacher must "convey the teachings of the Catholic faith by his or her words and actions."

Lawyers at the NYCLU, which filed the suit on McCusker's behalf, argued that administrators enforced the policy in a way that disproportionately affects women.

"The school used her pregnancy as a marker," attorney Cassandra Stubbs said. "How do they determine if male employees engage in premarital sex?"

It's not the first time the NYCLU has argued such a case. In 2003, the unmarried director of an after-school program run by a Catholic charity in Buffalo was demoted when she became pregnant. The equal employment commission found that the charity had violated federal anti-discrimination laws, the NYCLU said.

That charity agreed to ban discrimination based on marital status or pregnancy.

[drlogic]

private school is business (aka- bid-nes...LOL)

Key word: PRIVATE

In a public school that shit won't fly.

This is a private school!

Look at it more like an issue of "choice" and less through the lens of "a God given right to be employed". She chose to break the existing rules in the handbook and as a result, faces the consequences.

She may be a sweetheart and donate all her time to help the homeless and guess what?,,,I DOESN'T MATTER!

Action/Reaction........Consequences for decisions, so choose wisely!

[bigpoppanils]

Key word: PRIVATE

public or private, they are still covered by city, state, and federal anti-discrimination laws.

[drlogic]

I have the utmost faith in dirtbag lawyers twisting any law to fit their argument.

Hooters doesn't hire 400 lb. hairy men to serve chicken wings

Women cannot be priests

Men cannot be nuns

Having an unmarried pregnant woman teach at a school which teaches principles to children completely contrary to the example she is giving seems ,,,illogical???

Personally, I might consider a compromise and offer a leave of absence rather than dismissal. But that's just me?

If the gov't can declare it has no right to interfere in the right of a woman to choose, then using the same logic, how is it fair to then declare the school does not have the right to chose it's employees? Just thinking aloud.........

Don't try fix'n what ain't broke!

Private schools CLEARLY have a track record of leaving the children that go to their schools better prepared to be productive members of society. Percentage wise, private school graduation rates compared to that of public school is down right astonishing! Private schools have the education thing figured out and wired! If the student doesn't wanna play ball, there's a big ass line of other students waiting to take your spot!