Teacher fired for being pregnant

[Lone Gunman]

Pregnant teacher fights firing by Catholic school
Unwed educator alleges discrimination; diocese says she violated values



Updated: 9:08 a.m. ET Nov. 22, 2005
NEW YORK - 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 statement.

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.

Apparently it's ok to have sex with little boys, but you can't get pregnant.

[K C Muffin]

Ooh. I agree that the fed can make rules when it comes to public institutions. But the Catholic church is private. No tax moneys. So, can't they hire and fire whoever they want? At will? Seems like if the employee handbook has a morals section, then they should be able to enforce it. I agree that it's hard to tell when a male has an outside-marriage sexual relationship - sometimes it's hard to tell for females, too. I don't necessarily agree with the school's firing her, but her pregnancy will raise questions for the little ones in her class. I think the respectful thing for her to have done would be to have found a job in the public school system quietly and changed positions. But we don't legislate respect, do we?

[agnostic]

blah. this is a private school right?

i think they have every right to fire this woman. its in the handbook, its in their faith, i mean come on. for them to back down and condone an unmarried pregnant woman is just another deterioration of their biblical-based principles.

[Jerusha]

So they would prefer that she would have had an abortion to cover up the problem?

[agnostic]

well yes, i mean no, i mean..life starts at conception right? and every life is equal, i mean..not equal..depending on out or in wedlock, i mean yes, no..equal, yes! fired! ok. hallejuah!

[Highwayman]

First thing that I wondered was, is this teacher a nun?

[agnostic]

That'd make it a little more funny, wouldn't it?

[wordsmythe]

As long as the school receives NO public money then it's a private matter in my opinion.

If they get even a single dime of tax money then they need to follow the rules everyone else has to.

[K C Muffin]

But I'm thinkin' (I do that from time to time) - they may be tuition-supported and Church donation supported, but I bet they get lunch subsidies - maybe even have some children bussed. I think I heard at one time that Sacred Heart in DC was going to be able to participate in Central School's band program and bussing was considered as well. I don't know what ever happened to that, though. So, they may be trying to claim they're private, but they probably do get a subsidy of some kind. My bad for bringing it up in the first place.

[Lone Gunman]

Doesn't that kinda make the catholic church a bit hipocritical though? Priests molest little boys, which if it's not against church law or God's law is definately against man's law, yet they are just transfered to another diocese to continue with their crimes.