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A TEACHER FIRED from a Catholic school in Montana, after an anonymous letter writer said she was unmarried and pregnant, reached a confidential settlement with the school district and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena.
Shaela Evenson was fired from Butte Central Catholic Schools in 2014 after the diocese received the letter. Evenson sued, accusing the school district and the diocese of pregnancy discrimination, sex discrimination and breach of contract.
The school and diocese responded that she had breached her contract by going against the religious and moral teachings of the church.
After months of negotiations, the sides filed notice this week that they reached a settlement and they expect to ask a judge to dismiss the case next week. Once executed, the deal would avert a trial scheduled for April.
The agreement is confidential, Butte Central Superintendent Tim Uhl explained. He said diocese Bishop George Leo Thomas told him to “do what’s right” and take a conciliatory tone toward resolving the lawsuit.
“He doesn’t want to take it to court because there has been a lot of hurt and harm,” Uhl said.
I know it was very painful for Ms Evenson, as well as the Butte Central community, and we’re hoping to put this behind us and move on.
Evenson’s attorney, Brian Gallik of Bozeman, did not return calls for comment.
Evenson became pregnant through artificial insemination and gave birth to a boy in 2014. She taught literature and physical education to middle-school students for nine years.
She also led classes in daily prayer and accompanied her class to Mass, which attorneys for the school district said qualified her as a ministerial employee ineligible to make discrimination claims.
A religious exemption in federal law prohibits discrimination lawsuits by employees who perform essentially religious functions. Evenson’s attorneys said she was not a ministerial employee.
Uhl declined to comment on the details of the settlement but said it did not include any provision to change district personnel policy.
The diocese provides policy guidelines but managing school policy is up to individual school districts, diocese spokesman Dan Bartleson said.
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Surely the least Christian thing the church and school could have done. Super stuff, Bravo
No one does intolerance like the truly devout
That woman may have had sex without our consent, quick get her!!!!!
You would think they would try to show contrition for all the children they have raped.
She should claim a virgin birth like Mary did 2000 years ago…
Yep and we have the exact same exemptions from equality law for the church in Ireland – under the law as a teacher in Irelad you could be fired if you are discovered to be living in sin, divorced, LGBT – all the school has to say is that you are a ‘threat to their ethos’. This is in 96% of our 100% state-funded state schools. Essentially as a country we endorse, support and fund the Catholic church in its faith formation mission to the tune of billions every year. The 1916 proclamation says the state will guarantee “religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens”. We have a long way to go to realise that goal.
Mary was playing away, and to avoid all the questions over the birth decided to claim devine conception. She got away with it too. Well played Mary.
My late friend Eileen Flynn case all over again.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/tragic-eileen-flynns-lessons-in-courage-determination-and-love-26478147.html
And the catholic Church has the cheek to call themselves Christian.
I was just thinking about that…
The Roman Catholic Church is clearly Marian, not Christian. They venerate Mary as the lead figure and Christ as an also-ran.
In addition, why use the image of Christ on the cross, i.e. still in thrall to Death, rather than the empty cross to depict the Resurrection and victory over Death?
Of course, if you don’t believe any of this stuff, it really doesn’t matter.
And to correct an earlier comment…”There is nothing more judgemental than those who would have you believe, incorrectly, that they are devout”.
Yeah, fair enough
I’m sure she also wore clothes “woven from two materials” (Leviticus 19:19), why not fire her for that? She was also a teacher, “I permit no woman to teach or have authority over men; she is to keep silent.” (Timothy 2:11), why not fire her for that? Etc etc. These are all against the bible.
pregnant and unmarried = you are fired, raping children =new job in another church, what a religion!!
Fired for being pregnant out of wedlock??? Back in my day we would have given her a job in the laundry, where is the Catholic spirit?
Another catholic spirit or pass time – cherry picking.
She should of used the old immaculate conception excuse. Then again it got very out of hand last time.
Come on! Who’s going to believe that! Oh wait….
Well she might never of had sex. So since she had ivf, would that mean virgin birth?
Oh my god, you are right!!!
“LOL, Jk”, – Virgin Mary
The sack her without any care or thought then as soon as she sues and goes after them the bishop is suddenly quoted as saying “do what’s right” !! Such weasels! They only care about money andas soon as these weasels are dragged before a court they suddenly start remembering that they’re Christians. Strange how bringing new life into the world goes against there teachings but groping and fondling kids isnt
Imagine if the Virgin Mary had taught there. “On you eary Mary”
What a load of bull, what Century are they living in.
Awful that the law is the same in Ireland too – so the church has a get-out from our equality legislation – strictly speaking in the 96% of our state schools that are still controlled by the religious, they could sack a teacher who is found to be living in sin, divorced or LGBT.
See what they did to John McGahern for writing a book
Seems like the school is well nsmed, Butte Central.
Maybe Jesus sent the letter
Or her boyfriend….
I hope she made a small fortune in compensation.
I knew Eileen well RIP. She was a lady who believed in love and equality for all. I remember going into her and her husband Richey’s pub in New Ross when I came out as gay many years ago when it wasn’t an easy thing to do Eileen came straight over to me and said. ” Jim If you get any hassle of anybody because you are gay in this pub let me know. I don’t care who they are I will bear them on the spot.” She was a true Christian not like that shower of nuns that fired her.
…..that case was so wrong. And to lose in court as well? Awful. We really were backward.
Religion – The Planets super-magnet for utter Ar$€holes…..
Bloody throwbacks!
And same law currently in Ireland too!
Butte Montana has a large Irish heritage.
It was one of the copper mining boom towns in the 19th century.
Thousands of Irish worked there.
There are so many mine shafts under the city you have to be careful where you build.
The city is falling into the old workings.
Shaela sounds like Sheila.
Irish connection there I’d say.
Could she not just claim it was a virgin birth like Mary did 2000 years ago?
What’s the difference between Catholic ethos in a school and a Christian ethos in a school. I’ve asked this question of a number of Catholic Principals in Ireland and none could tell me.
I asked a Parish Priest who told me that the answer was too obvious to explain.
I wrote to a Bishop and he said that Catholic ethos was simply following Catholic Catachetics.
Is ethos the same as rules?
Bit of a riddle all right.
I’v often lain awake at night pondering the same question………..and other ‘really important’ issues ……..
America is different to ireland in their application of religion, it’s not forced on anyone to be Catholic it’s independent choice, teachers due to this are expected to maintain that ethos to teach in the schools, it’s the same with other religious schools and faiths. It’s not the get baptised to get in many complain of in ireland.
While it is true that Catholic schools are private schools in the US, note in the story how the Church claimed the teacher was a “minister.” This is the racket in the US: these are not teachers but “ministers” and therefore are not eligible for civil discrimination protections.
Indeed, the situation is much better in the US! In Ireland, in the 98% of our fully state-funded ad state run schools that are still controlled by the religious, the management committee is responsible for enforcing the religious ethos onto all aspects of school life, and they can quite legally fire any staff member who they learn is, for example, ‘living in sin’, divorced or LGBT. The religious in this country have been given a get-out from our equality law. Scandalous, but true. The main aim of these schools is faith formation. They can also, and do, discriminate against unbaptised children in their admissions policies – unless of course they are not full and need those children to make up those numbers so their state funding is not cut.
Catholicism claims to follow a Christian ethos which means that a christian ethos takes priority over their catholic ethos. The firing of this woman is clearly not the Christian thing to do. Therefore the person who fired this woman should be fired for not following a Christian ethos
She should “have” indeed. Back of the class!
Is that why 16.3 teenage girls per 1000 fall pregnant in Ireland? And something like 96% of schools are church run…
Liberal values.
I wonder how do Catholic schools measure their ethos, to check if employing a particular teacher or admitting a particular pupil has reduced it? What’s the unit of ethos?
Seems obvious to me that there are plenty of baptised that would reduce it, and plenty unbaptised who would enhance it. I’ve never noted any correlation between people who call themselves catholic and the actual practice of christian values.
David Clarke.. that’s you. Back of the class, I said.
My daughter goes to a wonderful Catholic primary school and let me assure you there’s no way I’d want her being taught by an unmarried pregnant woman. ( too many unanswered questions for innocent minds)
Absolutely not.
Catholic schools have standards.
Hence their nationwide popularity and high rates of success.
It was a rather unfortunate error but the principle still applies.
Quite rightly so.
So Sam Barkley, you’re preparing your child for either a very sharp awakening when she joins the real world and has to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is a Roman Catholic, or maybe you want to ensure that the narrow minded, judgementalism that lead to the Magdalen Laundries over here is preserved, since it worked so well for people in the past, right? Isn’t it funny how selective a religious ethos can be? How virginity until marriage must be upheld, even if that deprives the mother of the means to support her unborn child when they do arrive into the world (and of course the right to life of the unborn takes precedence over the life of the born, right? ) but “Judge not lest ye be judged” or “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” are not considered worthy values to instill in a young mind. Brilliant! Just what the world needs more of, hypocrisy, double standards, lack of compassion…. church and state should be completely separated, and if parents want to teach their values to their children let that be their responsibility and let them lead by example. Let the state teach children about human rights. Let’s see which would make for a better world
What century are you living in Noirin?
Nationwide popularity? Monopoly, Sam. And it will remain a monopoly as long as they get to play both sides of the game. Claiming 90%+ are Catholic while insisting we baptise to gain admission.
Standards, high rate of success- what a joke. When 96% of a market is dominated by one group and the other 4% is split between the rest, are you seriously suggesting there could be a meaningful comparison?
Noirin is living in the 21st century, I’d suggest you come join us but I suspect you’ll find it far to frightening.
Sadly Sam, the same one as you…..
@Sam Catholicism claims to follow a Christian ethos which means that a christian ethos takes priority over their catholic ethos. The firing of this woman is clearly not the Christian thing to do. Therefore the person who fired this woman should be fired for not following a Christian ethos. Would you not agree Sam ?
Catholic compassion: “FIRE HER!!!”
I heard that the Vatican wants to bring back ‘burning women at the stake’ but they have gauged public opinion and feel that it might prove to be ‘unpopular’. Not as out of touch as one might suspect.
She might “have” indeed.
There’s more to this story; the teacher in question is LGBT, which was probably why she was targeted to begin with. It’s not merely that she was pregnant out of wedlock, but that her lifestyle didn’t match Butte Central’s ideal. The school has tried to have an easy out … Dismissal … Without outing the woman and her partner. Didn’t work. Still the community has not dealt with the issue of LGBTs in Montana Catholicism, and a settlement won’t start the discussion, either.
Correct Kevin. What is more likely. A virgin pregnancy or that a Jewish minx should tell a lie.
Gossiping Ireland, it is a national pastime here… If you have nothing, make it up to be the first person who has it. In order to get someone to listen to you, now that is lonely and sad…
Michael, er…run that by me again. I’m sure it made sense…to you…but it lost something in translation and meant nothing to me.
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