Author: Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC
“New York Teachers Rights Discrimination Attorneys”
Jeffrey K Brown, Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC
Emily Herx has filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and St Vincent de Paul School for discrimination. Herx was fired from her job as a Catholic school teacher for using in vitro fertilization. Herx was told she could no longer work at the Catholic school where she’d been teaching for the past seven years because of Catholic doctrine forbidding. The school denies that there was any discrimination, as the Diocese and the Catholic school “has clear policies requiring that teachers in its schools must, as a condition of employment, have a knowledge and respect for the Catholic faith and abide by the tenets of the Catholic Church.” One of those tenets holds that IVF treatments are a sin because, the Diocese explained in a statement, they “frequently involve the deliberate destruction and freezing of embryos.” Full article.
In the workplace, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The law forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. The Supreme Court recently decided in favor of a church in a workplace discrimination case based on a “ministerial exception” allowing religious organizations extra leeway when it comes to firing employees for behaviors they consider unsuitable. The Herxes will have to distinguish their case to be successful.
Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC dedicates a large portion of their practice to the area of employment law. Our firm has represented many plaintiffs in matters of employment discrimination throughout Long Island and the New York City area. For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.