Catholic School Fires Pregnant Teacher for Being Unmarried
Michelle McCusker lost her teaching position at St. Rose of Lima School last month after giving notification that she was pregnant (and unmarried). The school’s principal had praised Michelle in the past for her “high degree of professionalism” but it seems that’s just not enough. Nope, a professional slut is still a slut.
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Michelle’s behalf.
“I also don’t understand how a religion that prides itself on being forgiving and on valuing life could terminate me because I’m pregnant and choosing to have this baby,” McCusker said at a press conference Monday.
“Here we have a case of blatant pregnancy discrimination, which is both wrong and illegal,” said the NYCLU’s Donna Lieberman.
The Brooklyn Diocese released a statement that reads, “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.”
The handbook requires teachers to follow the teachings of Catholic faith by their words and actions.
NY1 – NYCLU Files Complaint Against Catholic School For Firing Unmarried Pregnant Teacher
As crappy and narrow-minded as I think the actions of the school are, if Ms. McCusker signed something upon her employment (as is usually the case) agreeing to abide by the rules of the school, then I don’t really think she has much of a legal leg to stand on with regard to being fired. I know damned good and well that the school’s argument is going to be something like, “She wasn’t fired for being pregnant, she was fired for breaking the rules.” And as a private religous school, they’ll probably get away with it. If she isn’t a Catholic, then agreeing to follow the teachings of that particular faith without understanding them was not a wise thing to do. And if she is a Catholic, then she should have known what she was getting into. Unfortunately, just the act of having sex or using birth control could also have gotten her fired if it had been found out. And of course, an abortion is out of the question here. So, essentially, Ms. McCusker has really been screwed.
As reprehensible as the school’s actions are, unfortunately I don’t think Ms. McCusker will have a legal leg to stand on here. Assuming that she agreed to abide by the school’s stated rules when she was employed, she has now broken one of those rules and can be fired because she did do. Of course, had she even admitted having sex outside of marriage or using birth control, she could also have been fired and terminating her pregnancy is definitely not an option here. This is a private religous school and while I’m not a lawyer, I’d be willing to bet that the school’s legal stance is going to be that Ms. McCusker was not fired because she is pregnant but because she violated the rules she agreed to obey. As much as it hurts to say it, I’m afraid that Ms. McCusker is really screwed.