Teacher fired for pregnancy sues Catholic school

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A former Montana Catholic school teacher who was fired for being pregnant and unmarried is suing the school district.

The Montana Standard reports (http://bit.ly/1l0DJzJ ) Shaela Evenson filed the lawsuit Thursday alleging the firing violated federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy.

Evenson taught literature and physical education for grades 6 through 8 for nine years. She was fired in January after the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena received a letter about her pregnancy.

Evenson became pregnant through artificial insemination and gave birth to a boy on March 7, the first child for Evenson and her partner, Marilyn Tobin.

The district said it fired Evenson for violating the terms of her contract, which required her to practice the tenets of the Catholic faith.

Evenson's attorney won a $170,000 jury award in a similar case in Ohio.

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Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com