A Catholic school in Pennsylvania fired an unmarried teacher after she told the principal she was pregnant with no immediate plans to wed.
Naiad Reich was fired last week from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School in Coal Township after two years on the job, according to WNEP-TV.
Reich said her excitement with her first pregnancy has been overshadowed by the loss of her job, but she said she understands the dilemma her situation presented for the principal and the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg.
"It was very apparent that she was not happy with the circumstances. Of course, her problem was Catholic morals," Reich told WNEP, referring to the school's principal.
Reich said she and her boyfriend may get married, but they’ll make that decision in their own time.
"If there's no eventual plan in the near future to get married, it was either that or I had to be let go," Reich said she was told.
While the diocese did not comment on Reich's specific case, it did issue a statement, WNEP reported.
“As outlined in our policies, every professional employee agrees to follow the teachings, doctrine, and laws of the Catholic Church as part of the hiring process," a spokesperson said.
Reich said she understands the rules and morals of the Catholic Church and doesn’t harbor any bitterness toward the school, but she said she does miss her students.
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