Pregnancy costs teacher her job

south bend tribune ^ | 05/11/05 | LOU MUMFORD

[conservativewasp]

I'd say they fired her for being a whore, and deservedly so.

[Spktyr]

Except for the minor little fact that she was placed on leave and not fired. Her services were no longer wanted but by the terms of her contract they still have to pay her and provide benefits. Basically, all that's happened here is that she gets to sit around at home and get paid to do nothing until the contract is up, at which point they simply will not renew it. There are no legal grounds that I can think of that she can challenge this on.

[NYorkerInHouston]

Perhaps, but it happens all the time anyway. The hospital at which I worked just fired an employee who was pregnant because she was pregnant. The ironic thing is the person doing the firing is an administrator who herself was out for 6 months on pregnancy leave.

[One Proud Dad]

Does not matter. I married my wife in February ( years ago ) she got pregnant in May. She was a police officer. She told her boss and tried to discuss temporary leave or a reassigment as a dispatcher once she could not perform her duties until she could return to work. He berrated her with comments like "another reason women should just stay home" and others we had witenesses that overheard.

She was terminated the next day. In a letter signed by the city manager he stated she was fired for her pregnancy interfering with her job. She lost her insurance.

We attempted to arbitrate to acquire only cost of birth ( asked them to keep the insurance at first and they said no ) and lost wages. They became as__s and began saying she was a below average officer. All of her proficiency reports were excellent and fellow officers commended her performance. So we decided to sue for damages.

We received a "Right of Suit" showing cause from the EEOC ( very hard to get ) and they fined the city for violations or of one of the U.S. Titles. Well, after 2 years of crap we lost in a 2 day trial when the jury foreman turned out to be a businessman who had been sued by a former female employee.

Lesson here, make sure your lawyer is not a moron and government and employers don't care about you and can do whatever they desire.

[BlackRazor]

Which understanding apparently doesn't include the concept of forgiveness, and requires immediate expulsion from fellowship of anyone who commits a sin, even if they repent of it.

I went to Catholic schools for 12 years. I was always taught that part of repenting was accepting the consequences of your actions. And that forgiveness does not necessarily entail the negating of said consequences. The school could plausibly completely forgive her and still think it in everyone's best interest not to renew her contract. As an analogy, I can forgive a murderer for his actions, but that doesn't mean I believe he should no longer have to serve any time in prison.

[bahblahbah]

"Which understanding apparently doesn't include the concept of forgiveness, and requires immediate expulsion from fellowship of anyone who commits a sin, even if they repent of it."

The role of this religious school is to assist the parents is raising good godly children. It is a matter of broken window syndrome around impressionable minds.

[wmichgrad]

Being a pro-abortion teacher in Catholic school is not being pregnant. Clearly the Catholic school was within its rights to terminate an employee whose personal views are in direct conflict with religious teachings. That's why religious groups can disseminate by not hiring people of other religions but other employers cannot discriminate based on religion.

[Altamira]

"Interesting, I agree with the school, but my libertarian side says its none of their business. Open for your thoughts."

Does your libertarian side think that people have a right to engage in business via private contract? That's all we're talking about here...sounds like she broke her end of it, so the school is exercising their right to refuse to associate with her. Their behavior may viewed by some as harsh, but it does not violate libertarian principles.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Which understanding apparently doesn't include the concept of forgiveness, and requires immediate expulsion from fellowship of anyone who commits a sin, even if they repent of it.

Wow--an entire congregation of people who never sin.

[AppyPappy]

He was kicked out of home and church when he was discovered to have a drug problem.

They'll kick you out for eating pork.

[Pondman88]

Probably depends on state statute and whether this school has enough employees to trigger legal recourse on the fired teachers part. They'll probably end up settling for an undisclosed sum.

I say good for the school, sounds like a conservative outfit to begin with--I kinda wonder what she was thinking...but she's young, being fired is not the worst thing that can happen to you...and it may be the best.

[wmichgrad]

This is true. But, the fact that she was placed on leave could be used as proof of discrimination in a suit if they do not renew her contract. Discriminating in not hiring someone is the same as firing someone for the same reason. I am not saying I agree or disagree with either side. This is just my view on how the law would be enforced.

[Gabz]

Apparently being pregnant BEFORE marriage is not in the teachings of the 7day Adventists, so it basically the same scenario

[wmichgrad]

Whatever you say, o holy one.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I'd say they fired her for being a whore, and deservedly so.

Ah, but there's no indication that she sold her services; rather, it appears she gave them away.

I'm with those who say that this church has the right to decide what kind of people it wants working for it, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to consign this woman to hell for getting pregnant two months out of wedlock. Of course, that's only me. The way I see things, premarital sex isn't a sin; it's simply not a good idea.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[stinkerpot65]

If the public schools are full of slutty teachers, why should the private schools be any different?

[wmichgrad]

If the pregnancy interferes with that employee's ability to perform a specific job, and further reasonable accommodation cannot be made, then they may have been within their rights to let that employee go. Having a wife who is a teacher and two children, I know that being pregnant does not interfere with the ability to teach.

[bmwcyle]

REASONS FOR DISMISSAL

A teacher may be dismissed only for:

1. inefficiency or incompetence based on evaluations that comply with State Board of Education guidelines for evaluations;

2. insubordination against reasonable board of education rules;

3. moral misconduct;

4. disability proven by medical evidence;

5. elimination of the position to which he was appointed or loss of a position another teacher, as long as there is no other position for which the teacher is qualified and subject to the applicable provisions of a collective bargaining agreement or school board policy; or

6. other due and sufficient cause.

Before they become tenured, teachers can also be notified in writing by April 1 of each school year that their contracts will not be renewed for the coming year. The board does not have to specify any reason for nonrenewal unless the teacher files a written request for the reason. If the teacher makes such a request, the board must supply a reason within seven days.

[conservativewasp]

Selling her services or not isn't the point, this religous school didn't want the influence of some damn fluzy around and I don't blame them. Our son starts in Catholic Kindergarden next fall, he's there because we want a conservative, moral, catholic education for him. If one of his teachers ever shows up knocked up out of wedlock I guarantee she'll be fired. Same as a drunk, drug addict, or some other undesireable influence. We're spending our good money to keep the trash you get at public schools away from our kids.