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Catholic teacher fired for pro-life beliefs reaches settlement
A Catholic teacher in Scotland who was fired for telling students she is pro-life has reached a settlement with the school.
Sarah Morse is an American teacher living in Scotland, and a practicing Roman Catholic.
During a discussion in her history class on American political positions, Morse was asked her position on abortion, and she answered honestly that she is pro-life.
Morse was fired the same day.
She sued, and the case had now been settled.
This summer, teacher Sarah Morse spoke out after being fired for telling students she is pro-life, with the caveat that she understood and accepted that they might disagree.
Morse is an American teacher living in Scotland, and is a Roman Catholic. She was substitute teaching for a history class at Arbroath High School when she was asked for her opinion on issues like abortion during a discussion on life in the United States. She responded, “I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it.”
After being asked her thoughts on abortion after rape, Morse replied that the preborn child should “not be punished but understood that people would disagree with her."
Morse was fired within hours.
“When I was summoned to the office, I thought it was to go through paperwork and school procedures, such as fire drills after accepting an extension to my contract," she said. "Instead, I was summarily dismissed. I was not offered any sort of right of reply, asked for my account of what happened or how my legally protected beliefs were raised in the context of a history class and the head teacher [Karen Thomson] wouldn’t even see me.”
She then sued the Angus Council for discrimination.
“At no time did I attempt to persuade any student to adopt my position. I taught them that it is possible to have hard conversations with respect and that disagreement is a natural part of a free society," she said. “To be ‘cancelled’ and lose my livelihood because of my religious identity is a terrifying precedent for the teaching profession in Scotland. I will not teach anywhere in this country ever again. It’s been an absolute nightmare.”
OSV News reported that a settlement has been reached between Morse and the Angus Council. The details of the settlement are not known, but Morse had requested an apology, reimbursement for loss of three weeks of earnings, and $13,500 in compensation for the suffering she said she endured due to religious discrimination.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) supported Morse in her suit, and executive director Michael Robinson told OSV News that while he is glad the case has been settled, it still deserves public attention.
“Expressing a view on abortion in a reasonable manner is not something that should allow people of faith to be victimized,” Robinson said. “The widespread reaction showed that our view resonated with those who believe in the need for free speech in a democratic country. SPUC welcomes the fact that the case has been settled, stresses the need for people to stand up for themselves as Sarah did and stands ready to help anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation."
Pro-life speech has come under attack in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom and United States, and pro-life activists must fight back as Morse has done.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
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·Catholic teacher fired for pro-life beliefs reaches settlement
A Catholic teacher in Scotland who was fired for telling students she is pro-life has reached a settlement with the school.
Sarah Morse is an American teacher living in Scotland, and a practicing Roman Catholic.
During a discussion in her history class on American political positions, Morse was asked her position on abortion, and she answered honestly that she is pro-life.
Morse was fired the same day.
She sued, and the case had now been settled.
This summer, teacher Sarah Morse spoke out after being fired for telling students she is pro-life, with the caveat that she understood and accepted that they might disagree.
Morse is an American teacher living in Scotland, and is a Roman Catholic. She was substitute teaching for a history class at Arbroath High School when she was asked for her opinion on issues like abortion during a discussion on life in the United States. She responded, “I am a faithful Roman Catholic and I am against it.”
After being asked her thoughts on abortion after rape, Morse replied that the preborn child should “not be punished but understood that people would disagree with her."
Morse was fired within hours.
“When I was summoned to the office, I thought it was to go through paperwork and school procedures, such as fire drills after accepting an extension to my contract," she said. "Instead, I was summarily dismissed. I was not offered any sort of right of reply, asked for my account of what happened or how my legally protected beliefs were raised in the context of a history class and the head teacher [Karen Thomson] wouldn’t even see me.”
She then sued the Angus Council for discrimination.
“At no time did I attempt to persuade any student to adopt my position. I taught them that it is possible to have hard conversations with respect and that disagreement is a natural part of a free society," she said. “To be ‘cancelled’ and lose my livelihood because of my religious identity is a terrifying precedent for the teaching profession in Scotland. I will not teach anywhere in this country ever again. It’s been an absolute nightmare.”
OSV News reported that a settlement has been reached between Morse and the Angus Council. The details of the settlement are not known, but Morse had requested an apology, reimbursement for loss of three weeks of earnings, and $13,500 in compensation for the suffering she said she endured due to religious discrimination.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) supported Morse in her suit, and executive director Michael Robinson told OSV News that while he is glad the case has been settled, it still deserves public attention.
“Expressing a view on abortion in a reasonable manner is not something that should allow people of faith to be victimized,” Robinson said. “The widespread reaction showed that our view resonated with those who believe in the need for free speech in a democratic country. SPUC welcomes the fact that the case has been settled, stresses the need for people to stand up for themselves as Sarah did and stands ready to help anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation."
Pro-life speech has come under attack in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom and United States, and pro-life activists must fight back as Morse has done.
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Angeline Tan
·Activism
Angeline Tan
·Analysis
Nancy Flanders
·Analysis
Angeline Tan
·Analysis
Cassy Cooke
·Guest Column
Michael J. New
·International
Cassy Cooke
·International
Cassy Cooke
·Pop Culture
Cassy Cooke
·Pop Culture
Cassy Cooke
·International
Cassy Cooke
·