Real Life Story of Pregnancy Discrimination

Pamela, Teacher-Newport News, Virginia

Pamela had worked at the school for about a year when she went to her supervisor to tell her that she was pregnant. Because Pamela was unmarried, the supervisor gave her three options; 1) get married, 2) take a leave of absence, or 3) resign. The school was concerned that her pregnancy out of wedlock would set a bad example for the kids at the school, they informed her that as such, she would not be allowed to teach. Additionally, her forced leave was considered class-B, which meant her position upon return was not guaranteed. Normally pregnant married women took class-A leave, and their positions were indeed held for them. The court found her constitutional right to privacy was breached by the school, and her statutory right to be free from discrimination under Title VII was also breached.

Ponton v. Newport News School Bd., 632 F. Supp. 1056 (E.D. Va. 1986)