Teacher sues school district; says job lost due to pregnancy

BEND, Ore. – A kindergarten teacher seeks up to $750,000 in a federal lawsuit against the Redmond School District, alleging she was coerced to resign not long after disclosing she was pregnant.

The Bulletin newspaper of Bend reported that Jenalee Piercey filed the lawsuit last month in Eugene. In addition to the district, some claims are against the district’s human resources director and the principal of Sage Elementary School.

The lawsuit asserts Piercey was coerced to resign in 2015, a little more than a year after a performance review described her as a great asset to the school.

A school district spokesperson said it is district policy not to comment on pending litigation.

Piercey’s attorney, Charese Rohny, said her client left Central Oregon and found work in another school district.