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Catholic school teachers fired after pre-wedding pregnancy revealed – Metro US

Catholic school teachers fired after pre-wedding pregnancy revealed

Credit: Wikimedia Commons Credit: Wikimedia Commons

A couple who worked at the same Catholic school and became pregnant while unwed were fired from their jobs just before Thanksgiving.

TeachersSean Houlihan, 34, and Natalie Ferland, 26, were terminated from Lawrence Catholic Academy on Nov. 25, five days after revealing their relationship and pregnancy, according to the Eagle-Tribune.

The couple knew each other for years, began dating in March and unexpectedly became pregnant in October. They soon got engaged and began planning a 2015 wedding.

Principal Jorge Hernandez wrote the couple’s termination letters and said they were fired for violating the terms of their contact.

“Based upon your disclosures to me during our meeting of Nov. 20, 2013, it was determined you were violation of the terms of your contract,” Hernandez wrote in the termination letters, according to the Eagle-Tribune. He also said they were fired “for good cause in accordance with the terms of the Lay Teacher Agreement you signed for this academic year.”

The couple called their termination “unprofessional and un-Christian like” a

An Archdiocese of Boston spokesman provided a statement regarding the firing.

“Lawrence Catholic Academy is committed to providing a Catholic faith-based education as part of an exceptional overall experience. Our teachers sign an agreement to adhere to the teachings and principles of the Catholic Church, among many other criteria essential for employment. When that contract is violated, it is the school’s responsibility to make a determination as to whether a member of the staff can remain based on the facts of the matter,” the statement said. “This is important so as to be consistent in following the school’s responsibility to live by the core principles of a Catholic education.”

Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.