Ohio teacher awarded $171,000 after firing over artificial insemination

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Ohio teacher awarded 171,000 after firing over artificial insemination

By Bob Driehaus
CINCINNATI, Ohio | Mon Jun 3, 2013 10:34pm EDT

(Reuters) - A Catholic school teacher fired by the Cincinnati Archdiocese after becoming pregnant by artificial insemination was awarded $171,000 in damages on Monday by a federal court jury that ruled her dismissal violated U.S. anti-discrimination laws.

The U.S. District Court jury in Cincinnati awarded Christa Dias $71,000 in lost wages and emotional distress damages and ordered the archdiocese to pay her $100,000 in punitive damages.

The jurors did not find liable the two Catholic grade schools where Dias taught computer programming, which were also named as defendants in the case.

In 2010, the archdiocese fired Dias on the grounds that she had violated terms of a contract that she signed promising to adhere to Catholic morality, which it said barred the use of artificial insemination.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/04/us-usa-catholic-court-idUSBRE95302920130604

[rug]

1. Her attorney's remark goes to the heart of it.

"The jury decided that federal law trumps contract law," Klingler said. "You can't sign away your rights to be protected."

It's somewhat more prosaic but it upholds the principle that some contract clauses are unenforceable as a matter of public policy.

[CanonRay]

2. At least they didn't burn her at the stake

that's progress! Catholic style.