Judge in Ohio OKs fired pregnant teacher's lawsuit

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal judge has given the go-ahead for trial in a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Cincinnati by a Catholic school teacher fired after she became pregnant through artificial insemination.

The archdiocese fired Christa Dias in 2010, saying the single woman violated Roman Catholic Church doctrine by using artificial insemination. U.S. District Judge Arthur Spiegel says in his ruling last week that Dias was a non-Catholic computer teacher with no role in ministering or teaching Catholic doctrine.

An archdiocese spokesman says that parents who pay to send their children to Catholic school expect them to be taught in an environment reflecting Catholic moral teaching and that employee contracts specify they will abide by church teachings.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports (http://cin.ci/HQTtNz ) that Dias wants compensation for medical bills and other expenses.