Judge Rules Church Can Fire Teacher For Out-of-Wedlock Pregnancy

A Brooklyn woman's claim that she was unfairly fired from a Seventh-Day Adventist church's school for being pregnant--and unmarried--was quashed by a federal judge yesterday. Back in 2001, Jewel Redhead was fired from the Linden Seventh Adventist Church's school since she "violated one of the basic precepts" by having sex before marriage (and apparently not marrying the baby's father). While Redhead was trying to argue the school violated state and federal law for discrimination, the Post reports the judge said since Redhead was supposed to discuss religion as well in her teachings, "that made her more like a clergy member than a regular school teacher"--and therefore the church is free to fire her. Redhead, who is still single and teachers in Brooklyn, plans to appeal.

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By Jen Chung in News on July 30, 2008 12:42 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

She's pregnant with the Christ Child. Oops.

Barbj8

I knew her sister, Blonde Bimbo.

Sommelier

Why not just claim "immaculate conception"? It worked once before.

Rfive

Then I'd fire her.

Rfive

I would definitely hit that.

interlard

If you make a deal with the devil, you need to abide by the contract.

AggieAngst

So the school threw an unwed mother into the street so she has no way to provide for her child. That's not too compassionate now is it? It makes me wonder, what *would* Jesus do?

I think her employer probably didn't want to pay for her maternity leave.

Outter Burrougher

that second to last sentence of mine obviously also assumes that, like most teachers, she had a contract.

Outter Burrougher

a little "devil's" advocate here: part of her job is to teach and represent the Seventh-Day Adventist faith. Seventh-Day Adventists believe that sex outside of marriage is wrong. She was clearly in violation of this part of the denomination's beliefs. Having known people who taught at religious schools (though not any that were Seventh-Day Adventist), I'm willing to bet that her contract (which she signed) included morality clauses. Her getting pregnant outside of wedlock provided evidence that she was in violation of the faith (and any morality clauses IF they existed).