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Court Upholds Catholic School’s Right to Fire Pro-Abortion Teacher

By John Jalsevac

WILMINGTON, Delaware, June 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Yesterday, June 7, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision affirming the dismissal of Title VII sex discrimination claims against Ursuline Academy of Wilmington, some of its former employees, the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, and Bishop Michael Saltarelli.

The decision effectively brings to a conclusion the protracted court battle between Michele Curay-Cramer and the Catholic institution at which she formerly taught English and Religion.

On the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade in January 2003, Curay-Cramer signed onto a full-page ad in the Wilmington News Journal, praising the Roe decision and declaring her pro-choice position.  Ironically, that same day Ursuline sponsored a field trip of its students to Washington, DC to protest the Roe decision and declare the school's pro-life position. 

Shortly thereafter, Curay-Cramer was fired for publicly repudiating one of the core moral values that the school exists to teach.  She then sued the school, claiming that her discharge was sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

Yesterday's court decision points out that there is no factual basis for Curay-Cramer's accusations that Ursuline Academy treated her any differently than they would have treated a man under similar circumstances. The court also reaffirmed that strict exemptions contained in Title VII were intended to “enable religious organizations to create and maintain communities composed solely of individuals faithful to their doctrinal practices, whether or not every individual plays a direct role in the organizations religious activities.” The court added that under some circumstances this right of religious institutions “will be jeopardized by a plaintiff’s claim of gender discrimination.”

Anthony Pacarello, the President and General Counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a member of Urusline Academy’s defense team, remarked on yesterday’s court decision, saying "The Third Circuit reaffirmed what should have been obvious all along: Title VII was not designed to prevent a religious school from firing a teacher for publicly repudiating the school's religious teaching…To rule otherwise would threaten fundamental religious freedom interests of the school guaranteed by the First Amendment."

Read the full court decision:
http://www.becketfund.org/files/b2036.pdf?PHPSESSID=b1f1cad7...

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Teacher at Catholic School Fired for Public Support of Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/jan/03012905.html

Pro-Abortion Teacher Sues Catholic School for Firing Her
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/nov/03111406.html

US Court Rules Catholic School Within Rights in Firing Pro-Abortion Teacher
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/nov/04111807.html

 

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