Ugh!
We hate that this happened to this teacher, but we’re SO glad to see all of the support she’s received since!
Barb Webb was recently fired after working at an all girls Catholic school for the past nine years. She spent countless hours at Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, but the former teacher – who is gay – believes she was let go because she is pregnant.
The timeline of the previous months would certainly prove that reasoning, since she told her bosses that she was pregnant in the middle of July, about a month after she first learned she was pregnant, and was subsequently fired in August.
Here’s what she wrote on Facebook at the time:
“Marian was unwilling to offer me any type of leave and of course they were not willing to grant me the same right that a half dozen other teachers are enjoying this year while starting their families. Their offer of resignation included health care through May, of course they claimed it was to help their conscience after firing a pregnant woman for no other reason than for being pregnant and getting pregnant outside the Catholic way…but really I think they were interested in the gag order that came along with it. Well, you’re damn right I wasn’t going to sign something that said I willing was leaving and their $4k of health insurance wasn’t enough to buy my silence. My job can’t be saved but the torment that the poor LGBT students at Marian must be feeling ( right let’s be real they exist too) the other LGBT staff ( again let’s be real people) and those that are silenced by fear can be helped.”
Well, the outpouring of support from colleagues, alumni, current students, and total strangers has been incredible since Barb let the world know what happened to her. This past Sunday brought 100 students together to rally for their beloved teacher, and 4,300 people have joined a Facebook group for her called I Stand With Barb Webb.
One alumni group even sent a letter to the president of the school, Sister Lenore Pochelski, and shared that letter on Facebook where it basically said they would STOP donating to the school until it commented on the ongoing situation!
Well, they won’t be able to NOT talk about this for much longer — despite their attempts to place a gag order on Barb!
It’s clear, too, that she’s a VERY talented teacher. It’s obvious from the amount of students who seem to be devastated by her leaving, and she’ll be able to find another teaching job pretty quickly.
But it’s the principle of the matter, and Barb, has said herself that she does not plan on taking any legal action against the school. All of this is for a far bigger issue for Barb. She said:
“This is definitely not a crusade against the school. This is so much more than me and Marian. It’s letting people know what type of social injustice is still happening.”
We wish Barb Webb the best with her pregnancy, and hopefully the amazing support she’s received will prompt this school to make a statement on the changes to their policy that so many are demanding they make!
Because firing someone over their “non-traditional” pregnancy is something that just should not be happening! It’s unfair, unjust, and totally NOT understandable!
Best of luck to Barb Webb! We’re definitely one of her supporters!
[Image via myfoxdetroit.]