Denver, Colo., May 4, 2021 / 16:00 pm
A federal district court dismissed the employment discrimination claim of a New Jersey Catholic school teacher last week, ruling that she was a religious “minister” and thus exempt from certain employment discrimination laws.
Joan Simon, a former teacher at Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City, had claimed that she was terminated by the school because of her “age, disability, and whistleblowing activities.” The academy is an all-girls Grade 7-12 school sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, New Jersey.
Simon, who is in her late fifties, said she was fired from St. Dominic’s on Oct. 9, 2018, the day after she returned from medical leave following a car accident. She also claimed that the teacher who replaced her was “unqualified” for the position.
Simon also said in her lawsuit that throughout her employment, she had made numerous complaints to the administration, including to the dean, of “violations of the law and...educational process” at the school.