Posted on 02/20/2006 4:26:47 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
Anti-Abortion Group Backs Fired Pregnant Teacher
Group Says Catholic School Is Encouraging Abortion by Firing Woman
By JAKE TAPPER and AVERY MILLER
Michelle McCusker, 26, got a job teaching pre-school at St. Rose of Lima, a Catholic school in Queens, N.Y...
(She) became pregnant. She decided to keep the baby and informed the school early in the school year.
/snip
The school — backed by the Brooklyn Diocese, which oversees Catholic churches in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens — fired her.
McCusker and the New York Civil Liberties Union are suing the school, claiming gender discrimination... "This is a policy that the church applies to women but not to men."
/snip
But what's unique about the case at St. Rose of Lima is that an anti-abortion group has sided with Michelle McCusker, claiming that the Catholic school was essentially encouraging abortion.
/snip
Serrin Foster is president of a group called Feminists for Life. She talks about McCusker at anti-abortion rallies, saying taking away a woman's job and income for being pregnant is anti-life.
"If you take away the resources, you could unintentionally drive a woman to having an abortion," said Foster — who mentions McCusker's story when she speaks at anti-abortion rallies.
"It is not pro-life to take away the resources and support that women need and deserve to bring children into this world," Foster says. "The appropriate response for the employer when they found out she was pregnant, is to say, 'Congratulations,' and, 'How can I help?' "
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
1- I think the school has the legal right to handle its without government interferance.
2- Unless the teacher has had other serious problems, the school is making a huge mistake.
There are interesting incentive problems here. It reminds me of prosecutions for statutory rape between underaged teens, when the main evidence of the crime is the birth of a child to a teenaged mom. Doesn't that just incentivize early abortion?
She's married or single?
She's single.
She should have been placed on Leave Without Pay when she started showing,. Not fired.
This seems to send a wrong message to single females who get pregnant. The next teacher that this happens to might opt for an abortion just to keep her job. ugh.
I've got to back the school in this one. Their policy is clear. If I were a paying parent of a student of this school, I would be pleased to know that the school is doing their part to ensure that a good example is set as far as acceptable social behavior.
Puts the church in an awkward spot. They don't want to look to her class like they are winking at extramarital sex, and being Catholic they would probably want her to do some kind of penance.
I'm not sure what this means. Does it mean if a man becomes pregnant and is not married, he is allowed to remain? I don't think any case exists of that happening. If it means that a man can knock up chicks who aren't his wife and remain, that's another story. Of course, in hat case, e should be fired. It's a private religious school.
As far as the preggars teacher. Too bad. She obviously does not subscribe to the same moral code as the Church or the school.
If the parish or its members want to help her as an act of Christian charity, that would be commendable. But to have her remain as a teacher and therefore a roll model is too much.
All you need to know about this to know which side is correct is that the pregnant chick is supported by the ACLU. No friend to families, pro life movement, unborn children, Churches or their schools or America, in general.
You've got it!
McCusker and the New York Civil Liberties Union are suing the school, claiming gender discrimination... "This is a policy that the church applies to women but not to men."
I think this is a double edge sword... it could promote appropriate behavior or it could do just the opposite.
What happens when another single female teacher at this school or another get pregnant? She is going to want to keep her job and she might be persuaded to make the "other" decision.
Um, the message is not to be participating in activities that might lead to you getting pregnant (or getting a partner pregnant) as your conduct tarnishes your ability to be a role model to young Christians hearts and minds -- aka, the students that you will be teaching religious doctrine to.
Encourage proper social behavior... like secret abortions?
Now what would be great would be the church to help her, if she is repentant. But that help does not mean taking away all struggles.
I support the woman in this case. She is taking responsibility, having her kid and not being dishonest with the school.
The moral impetus has to be the protection of the unborn. To place that as secondary to "teaching the woman a lesson" is sick.
Interestingly enough, if they are firing this woman for a sin, then when do they resign their jobs as well as NO ONE is free of sin. Or is this a 'bigger sin', and if so I'd like to know what authority under God they have to make such determinations?
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