Dec. 24--The federal government has sued the Chicago Board of Education, alleging the district discriminated against pregnant teachers at a Northwest Side elementary school by targeting them for termination.
The lawsuit alleges that the principal of Scammon Elementary School, Mary Weaver, engaged in a pattern of discrimination between 2009 and 2012, by subjecting teachers who became pregnant or returned to work after their pregnancies "to disparate treatment with regard to performance evaluation ratings, classroom observations discipline, and threatened and/or actual termination."
Since 2009, the government alleges, the principal's actions effectively removed eight teachers from their jobs.
During that time frame, "there existed a regular, purposeful, and less-favorable treatment of teachers because of their sex (pregnancies)," according to the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court.
Two of the teachers filed discrimination complaints with the Chicago Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The commission investigated the charges and found reasonable cause to believe discrimination occurred against pregnant teachers. The case was then referred to the Department of Justice.
"No woman should have to make a choice between her job and having a family," said Vanita Gupta, acting Assistant Attorney General for the department's civil rights division, in a statement.
The government said it notified the district this summer of its intent to file a complaint over a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
The Department of Justice is demanding a jury trial and wants a judge to order the Chicago Board of Education to "develop and implement appropriate and effective measures to prevent discrimination", as well as awarding damages to affected teachers "to compensate them for pain and suffering caused by discriminatory conduct"
Scammon Elementary School is located at 4201 W. Henderson St., in the Kilbourn Park neighborhood.
