Fired Pregnant Teacher Plans Suit

The Helena Diocese has fired an unmarried Butte Central teacher for getting pregnant, its superintendent said Tuesday. Shaela Evenson taught sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade literature and physical education at the school for the past nine years. She was dismissed January 10. “Shaela made a willful decision to violate the terms of her contract,” Superintendent Patrick Haggarty said. “This happened as a result of her decision to violate the terms of her employment contract, and in so doing she’s disqualified from teaching at a Catholic school. It’s a sensitive issue and it’s unfortunate all around.” Evenson has hired Cincinnati-based lawyer Brian Butler, who specializes in wrongful-termination cases/ Montana Standard . More here.

Question: Shouldn’t a parochial school have the right to enforce rules that are faith-based?