Monday Blog
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will be providing to all employees in her office 6 weeks of paid parental leave. This is a step in the right direction toward providing economic security for working mothers and fathers. Others should follow suit and do even more. Currently, under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which was passed in 1993, new parents in the United States are guaranteed 12 weeks of unpaid leave. However, the United States lags far behind other industrialized nations with respect to leave provided to working parents. We are the only nation that does not require paid leave and we offer the least amount of unpaid leave. Most other countries require significantly more than 6 weeks of paid parental leave. We have work to do. Read more here.
A Literature/Gym Teacher And The Ministerial Exemption
Shaela Evenson was terminated last year from her Catholic school teaching job at Butte Central in Helena, Montana after the school learned she was unmarried and pregnant. Evenson recently filed suit for pregnancy discrimination, sex discrimination, and breach of contract. The school and co-defendant the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena is taking the position that Evenson cannot pursue any discrimination claims because she was a ministerial employee and the Supreme Court of the United States has recognized a ministerial exemption preventing such suits. Evenson’s position is that the ministerial exemption only applies to employees “whose primary duties consist of engaging in church governance, supervising a religious order, or conducting the religious ritual, worship or instruction.” Evenson says the exemption doesn’t apply to her because she taught literature and physical education. The school and diocese say the exemption applies because she led her homeroom class in daily prayer, accompanied them to Mass, and took religious education classes. See this article for additional information.
