The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education alleging the board discriminated against pregnant teachers at a Northwest Side elementary school, even firing some after they announced their pregnancies.
According to the complaint, the board discriminated against pregnant teachers at Scammon Elementary School by subjecting them to “adverse personnel actions, including termination in some instances, after they announced their pregnancies.”
The suit alleges that since 2009 the school’s principal gave pregnant female teachers lower performance evaluations, disciplined them, threatened termination and terminated some because of their pregnancies. The complaint further alleges the board approved the firing of six recently pregnant teachers and seeks monetary damages and compensation for those teachers along with a court order requiring the board to develop and implement policies to prevent employees from discrimination based on pregnancies.
Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against female employees due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.
“No woman should have to make a choice between her job and having a family,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “Federal law requires employers to maintain a workplace free of discrimination on the basis of sex.”
The Chicago Teachers Union said Tuesday it supports the lawsuit.
“We’re glad the Department of Justice has filed this lawsuit against what is principal autonomy at its absolute worst,” said CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey. “There are a certain number of principals who are violating teacher rights on daily basis, and in many ways, this situation is the tip of the iceberg.”
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Bill McCaffrey said in a statement that CPS plans to "defend against the suit."
“Chicago Public Schools is strongly committed to creating a workplace that values and respects all employees and will not tolerate the kind of discrimination or retaliation that is alleged to have taken place at Scammon Elementary school," the statement read. "Chicago Public Schools intends to defend against the suit and stands behind its commitment to its Comprehensive Non-Discrimination Policy and to the fair treatment of pregnant employees.”
State Senator Toi Hutchinson said the issue highlights the ongoing fight bfor workplace fairness and equality.
“As evidenced by the alleged discriminatory actions at Scammon Elementary, it is evident that workplace fairness and equality is an on-going fight that will need to assert itself in not only our laws, but our public consciousness, for true change to take root," Hutchinson said in a statement. "Treating workers fairly should not have to be mandated, but, in the cases where it is regrettably necessary, we have laws in place in the state of Illinois that will provide these women with the justice they deserve.”
