Catholic Teacher Says She Was Fired over Abortion Views

American history teacher Sarah Morse is taking a Scottish school to an employment tribunal, alleging that she was dismissed because of her religious beliefs after telling students that she opposed abortion, The Telegraph reported.

The incident occurred at Arbroath High School last November during a history class for 14- and 15-year-olds. After hearing her American accent, students asked Morse about life in the US and her views on abortion, transgender issues and President Donald Trump.

When asked about abortion, she said she was a faithful Roman Catholic and opposed it. A student then asked about pregnancy resulting from rape. Morse replied that she believed the child should not be punished, while making clear that others could reasonably disagree.

Later that day, she was dismissed with immediate effect, apparently for discussing religion and abortion in class.

Morse said she was given no opportunity to explain what had happened and had made no attempt to persuade the students to adopt her position. The 66-year-old, who has previously taught in England and Canada, described the experience as an “absolute nightmare” and warned that her dismissal set a “terrifying precedent” for the teaching profession in Scotland.

Angus Council, which runs the school, said it would be inappropriate to comment while legal proceedings were under way.

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