Catholic Teacher Fired Over Artificial Insemination
A teacher who worked at two Catholic schools in Cincinnati was fired because school officials said she broke her contract by using artificial insemination to get pregnant.
Christa Dias was the technology teacher at Holy Family and St. Lawrence schools in East Price Hill. When she approached her employers concerning maternity leave Dias was fired in October 2010.
“I’ve always wanted to have a baby,” Dias said, according to Cincinatti.com. “I’ve always known that. That’s why I became a teacher, because I love kids…I didn’t think it would be a problem.”
At the time of the termination Dias was five months pregnant and remains currently unemployed. Dias filed a lawsuit in April, accusing the schools of pregnancy discrimination and breach of contract.
The schools are run by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and in an interview with The Christian Post, Archdiocese of Cincinnati spokesman Dan Andriacco said: “She has a right to her opinion, but she does not have a right to violate her (employment) contract.”
Andriacco continued to state that there has been a negative reaction in the media concerning the denial of unemployment benefits which is not warranted because the denial is “justified because she was fired for cause.”
In the contract it states that employees must act and comply with Catholic teachings which include not participating in what the church deems as “grave immoral” acts.
The schools “have admitted that they had no other reason to terminate Ms. Dias’ employment,” her attorneys wrote in legal filings in the case as reported by Cincinnati.com.
“I’m disappointed more than anything that I couldn’t continue my career because I wanted a child,” Dias said.
The school’s attorneys argue that it was her choices that got her filed not discrimination. “Above all, this is a case about a contract,” attorneys for the school wrote. They continued, “This is not the classic pregnancy discrimination case in which pretexts must be evaluated and discriminatory intent must be divined.”
Dias explained that how the law is now it allows her to sue because most of the work that she performed as a technology teacher had nothing to do with religion.
