April 22, 2011

Was teacher fired for getting pregnant?
Kimball Perry

enquirer.com

At age 31, Christa Dias really wanted to become a mother.

The technology coordinator and computer teacher at two Archdiocese of Cincinnati schools gleefully told her bosses in October that she needed maternity leave in a few months because she was 5½ months pregnant.

Then she was fired.

First, she was fired, her federal lawsuit against the archdiocese alleges, because diocese officials believed she'd had premarital sex.

But when they found out how she got pregnant, they were even more upset, she said.

"After being notified of a potential violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws, Defendants (The Archdiocese) changed their reason for terminating Ms. Dias to her use of artificial insemination to become pregnant, which they claim is also a violation of the philosophy and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Defendants have admitted that they had no other reasons to terminate Ms. Dias' employment," Dias' suit filed Thursday states.

Archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco wouldn't comment Friday because he had not seen the suit.

Dias, of Withamsville, was stunned by her employer's actions.

"I was obviously outraged that in this day and age it is something that can be done by the Catholic Church," Dias said, as her 9-week-old daughter bawled in the background. Dias isn't Catholic.

"I wanted to bring life in the world and I'm being ostracized for it. Catholic or not Catholic, a lot of people are outraged."

Originally from Michigan, Dias has lived here for three years. She said she loved working for the East Price Hill schools - Holy Family and St. Lawrence - where she split her time, making a combined $36,000 per year.

"I am a Christian and I follow the Bible and I don't see anything in the Bible about artificial insemination," Dias said. "They consider it gravely immoral."

Dias' suit also questions if the diocese applies the same standards to men. Would a man who had a pregnant mate, impregnated either as a result of premarital sex or artificial insemination, be treated the same way, she asked.

"I was fired because I am able to (physically) show I am pregnant. ... To what length would they follow a male employee around" to determine how the pregnancy happened, she wondered.

"Only a woman can become pregnant and she was fired because she was pregnant," Dias' attorney Bob Klingler said.

The archdiocese, she added, also is contesting her unemployment claims, leaving her with no income.

Despite the consequences, Dias said she wouldn't change her decision to start a family.

"Now that she's in my life, I can't think what my life would be without her," she said.

Dias sued, citing breach of contract and pregnancy discrimination.

"The point of the lawsuit is I want to make sure that they can't do this to another woman," Dias said.

The suit seeks unspecified back pay, future pay, attorney fees and compensatory and punitive damages.