Unmarried pregnancy poll/discussion

csme · 11-22-2005, 03:42 PM

Ripped from the headlines...
*********************
Fired pregnant teacher sues Catholic school

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. (Watch what was in her termination letter -- 1:36)

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.

*****************
Do you think a Catholic school should be able to fire an unmarried teacher for being pregnant?

Yes, I know school is spelled incorrectly in the poll - I copied and pasted from CNN without checking their spelling!

csme · 11-22-2005, 03:55 PM

My vote is no. But I'm not Catholic and don't understand all of the hypocrisy in religions and among the self-rightious. (No offense to the Catholics on here.)

I hope she wins her lawsuit.

11-22-2005, 04:27 PM

Maybe Im just a bit more forward thinking than alot of people...but *IMO* you shouldnt have to life your life based on the teaching and the principles of a book that was written over 2000 years ago. It might have worked then...but not now.

Rice_Cube · 11-22-2005, 05:34 PM

If it were a public school, I would emphatically say "no" to the firing, but since a Catholic school is privately run, I believe that they do have the right (however wrong it is) to enforce their "principles" and fire this teacher. It would be interesting to see what the courts do about this one.

dagwood · 11-22-2005, 08:13 PM

I voted yes. It is a private religious school and the teachers are supposed to set examples for the kids. A single mom doesn't set the example the church wants.

If it were public school then heck no.

11-22-2005, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dagwood

I voted yes. It is a private religious school and the teachers are supposed to set examples for the kids. A single mom doesn't set the example the church wants.

If it were public school then heck no.

Maybe not...but do the priests that molested the kids set the good example? I didnt see a whole lot of them being defrocked and put out in the public for ridicule and suing the church. The church moved them around, and kept alot of them IN THE PREISTHOOD. Does that set a good example for the church?

No. Why should a single mother be treated any different?

Again, this is all my opinion.

Jessica · 11-23-2005, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperGirl

Maybe not...but do the priests that molested the kids set the good example? I didnt see a whole lot of them being defrocked and put out in the public for ridicule and suing the church. The church moved them around, and kept alot of them IN THE PREISTHOOD. Does that set a good example for the church?

No. Why should a single mother be treated any different?

Again, this is all my opinion.

Remember though that men can do no wrong....at least in the Church's eyes. It's all them womens that be evil.

I voted no. The Church needs to seriously reform their thinking. What happened to all their forgiveness crap?

I used to be Catholic, but not anymore. They're a bunch of flaming hypocrites, although I still like to go to midnight mass on occasion. It's one of those rare moments when the Church actually shows what it could be (friendly, loving) then what it is now (hypocrites, assholes).

csme · 11-23-2005, 08:03 AM

Everyone has brought up good points.

Lets just say, for argument's sake, the father of the child in this scenario is also employed by the Catholic school. If the mother were to name him, do you think he would/should be fired as well?

Midas · 11-23-2005, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperGirl

Maybe not...but do the priests that molested the kids set the good example? I didnt see a whole lot of them being defrocked and put out in the public for ridicule and suing the church. The church moved them around, and kept alot of them IN THE PREISTHOOD. Does that set a good example for the church?

No. Why should a single mother be treated any different?

Again, this is all my opinion.

No, the molesting priests do not set a good example for the church.

SHOULD they be able to fire an unmarried pregnant teacher? I voted yes. They should be able to fire whomever they please. Granted, Catholics (or anyone for that matter) are far from perfect, but why have a teacher at a school with strong religious beliefs

that doesn't set a good example for the students? The complaint filed by NYCLU seems to almost fall into another church vs. state issue.

For argument's sake, if the father was employed by the school and they have no plans to marry, he should be fired as well.

csme · 11-23-2005, 12:38 PM

I agree with Traci and Jess.

I think it has something to do with the whole penis vs. vagina thing. Too bad they can't tell if a man has fathered a child out of wedlock. But it seems if they could tell, it would be swept under the rug.

dagwood · 11-23-2005, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperGirl

Maybe not...but do the priests that molested the kids set the good example? I didnt see a whole lot of them being defrocked and put out in the public for ridicule and suing the church. The church moved them around, and kept alot of them IN THE PREISTHOOD. Does that set a good example for the church?

No. Why should a single mother be treated any different?

Again, this is all my opinion.

True. They should be and I think it is sad that the church doesn't seem to think they should be defrocked.