Kenilworth, NJ – Like a knight guarding a castle from invaders, New Jersey’s Supreme Court stood stalwart in its decision, defending St. Theresa School in a controversial pregnant Catholic firing case that has ensnared the state’s attention.
The Backdrop: A Sacred Code or Unlawful Discrimination?
In a case that’s been as twisty as the spiraled helix of DNA, Victoria Crisitello, a former teacher’s aide and art instructor, found herself thrust from the hallowed halls of St. Theresa School in 2014, a dismissal she contended was unjust.
The Kenilworth-based school, nested under the vast wing of the Archdiocese of Newark, found itself grappling with accusations of discrimination.
Pregnant Catholic Firing: Navigating the Labyrinth of the Law
Plunging deep into the legal trenches, the court’s decision revolved around the intricate threads of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
However, unlike a traditional tapestry, this law bore a unique pattern: a carveout. Religious institutions, it seems, can balance employment decisions on the fulcrum of their faith-based beliefs.St. Theresa School, in the eye of this storm, was quick to reference their “Code of Ethics”.